The Mechanic's Apprentice
by Byne Zearse
Summary: Yaoi, CidxOC. Rated M for mature content, language, and possible lemons in later chapters. When Aldrick wakes up in Traverse Town, a certain mechanic helps him out. Will romance bud? Ch. 12 now up! [Complete!][Alternate Ending]
1. Muffins and a Mechanic

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. All I own is Aldrick.

"Speaking"

/Thinking\

_Writing_

_

* * *

_

_Another day of school is over, and I'm glad it is. True, my friends try to support me, but it sometimes isn't enough. I'm tired of being a social outcast. But...I am who I am. Whether or not people accept me is their problem._

The teenager sighed as he closed his journal, leaning back into his chair. His gray eyes stared at the ceiling. His sand-colored hair, wet from his shower, stuck to the top of his head as he heaved a sigh. He picked at his white t-shirt as it slightly stuck to his wet spots, and lifted up the leg of his jeans with his bare foot, scratching an itch. He looked back down to the cover of his journal, the green cover silently staring back at him.

/Even as one of my last escapes, it still seems like a dead end...\

After running his hand over his hair, the teenager, Aldrick, got up from his desk and walked over to the corner of his room, where a television sat. The black box soon sparked to life as Aldrick pressed the power button on the remote control, and the high school senior peered into a nearby cardboard box.

This was the teen's final escape, and part of the reason he was ostracized by his peers. The box was filled to the brim with video games, ranging from Super Nintendo games, to those for the Playstation 2 and Gamecube. As the teen sifted through the games, he thought about what to play.

"Soul Calibur 2? No, don't feel like playing it. Valkyrie Profile? Beat it yesterday. Baten Kaitos? Disc two doesn't work, and I don't feel like starting over. Kingdom Hearts...It has been a while...sure, why not?"

After reaching behind the PS2 and flicking the switch, Aldrick put the game in the open slot and closed it, grabbing the controller as he sat in his gaming chair. The appearance of the Squaresoft logo made the teen sigh and smile. At the main menu screen, he pressed the down button on the controller and selected the load option. He had beaten this game five times, and each data was saved at the final save point. There was one, though, that was saved in a different spot.

"Oh yeah. That was before fighting Maleficent. I guess beating her again won't be too hard." A smirk played across his face, which was quickly covered by a grin at the sound of a faint ding. "The muffins!" he exclaimed as he jumped out of his chair. This was one of Aldrick's many quirks, and part of the other reason he was a social outcast. He was just plain weird.

As Aldrick headed out to the kitchen, he turned off his light and closed the door, leaving the game and television running. His mother had left some muffins in the oven before she left, and asked her son to take them out when they were done. If there would be any left, that all depended on whether or not he was hungry.

The muffins weren't done just quite yet, so he placed them back in the oven and waited, the sound of thunder coming from outside. The teen stepped over to a nearby window, watching as a tree, illuminated by the faint moonlight and a nearby street light, swayed dangerously in the strong wind. "Looks like it's going to storm. As long as it doesn't bother me and my game, it can do whatever it wants." The teen smiled as the oven dinged again, and this time the muffins were ready for consumption.

As Aldrick now walked back down the hallway, the lights in the kitchen being turned off for the night, he happily munched on one of the three blueberry muffins he carried with him. Between bites, he managed to say "I've got to get mom to make these more often." Reaching his room, he entered and closed the door, his game where he left it.

He got ready to bite into his second muffin, when he noticed that his alarm clock had shut off. "Did I trip over the cord at one point?" Aldrick asked aloud, not expecting an answer from the room. After placing the two leftover muffins on his nightstand, he went over to the outlet and found the clock still plugged in, and the rain coming down as if trying to flood the world in a matter of minutes. "Must be a power outage...wait..." The teen looked back to his TV, seeing it still on, and wondered what the hell was going on.

The room seemed to darken a little, and thunder boomed outside. But, where's the lightning? Aldrick thought as he ran to the window, opening the creme-colored blinds only to find nothing but pitch black. "What the...?"

The room seemed to darken a little, but the senior couldn't tell if it was because it actually was getting darker, or if it was because his eyes seemed to be creeping closed. He felt so tired for no reason, and it scared him. He reached to grab the nearest thing to him to stop from falling, only to grab his journal. /Damn...\ was thought as he closed his eyes and held his journal, the room black around him, as he seemed to fall. He seemed to fall past the floor, and then, he was no longer conscious.

* * *

Aldrick seemed to stir a little, but lacked the energy to open his eyes. His head hurt, and it felt like his limbs were made of lead. He could feel stone beneath him, smooth like a floor or street. /Am I in a city?\ 

Soon, voices could be heard.

"Is he okay? Is he alive? Can I poke him?" A female's, young and energetic.

"No. Don't add any more injury." A male's, cold and stern.

"We should get him to a bed." Another female's, this one wise and soft.

"Fine, I'll take the kid. I have a spare bed anyway." Another male's, gruff sounding.

/...Where did I end up?\ was thought before the teen seemed to fall back asleep, failing to notice the sudden movement beneath him.

* * *

When Aldrick started to come to again, he could feel a breeze. He could also feel himself moving faintly up and down, as well as being held against something warm. He snuggled against it, and felt the breeze and movements stop. A thought flashed into his mind. /Am I being...carried? Then, I just...!\ The teen's eyes opened, only to find himself in the arms of a blonde man. 

"Hey, I'm not a teddy bear kid." The blonde man's gruff voice came quietly, as if trying not to scare Aldrick. That didn't go as well as the man hoped.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't...I mean..." In an attempt to get away, the teen fell out of the man's arms, landing square on his tailbone onto the pavement beneath him. "Ow..."

"You shouldn't 'ave moved, kid." The blonde man smirked, and Aldrick blushed out of embarrassment. "Besides, it's not like I planned on hurting you."

"As if that's for sure! And stop calling me 'kid'. I'm almost eighteen." The senior didn't know the man's intentions, but couldn't stand being called a kid. What normal teenager did?

"Well then, what should I call you? Your name isn't exactly printed on your forehead." The man chomped away on a toothpick, and Aldrick blushed again.

"...Aldrick..." he said, scanning over the man. The man had blonde, in fact yellow, hair, with goggles that seemed to hold it up and back. His white shirt accentuated his muscles, but wasn't tight enough to look like it was cutting off circulation. His pants were slightly baggy, and he wore some kind of large waistband. His blue eyes were clear, and the teen's face seemed to go from faint pink to bright crimson. The man, although they never actually met, felt familiar to the seventeen year old.

"Aldrick? Not exactly common, but I ain't complainin'. I'm Cid Highwind." Cid thumbed his nose and smiled, and Aldrick's jaw hit the floor, literally.

In an attempt to get away, he stood up, only to start falling back to the ground. He almost caught himself, but all functions stopped at the sound of the man's name, and his chin came into contact with the ground. "Ow! Cid? That isn't possible. Cid Highwind isn't real. He's a fictional character in a game."

"Game? Sorry, ki...Aldrick, but I'm 'bout as real as they come." Cid knelt down, picking up Aldrick again, and heading towards a building. "Besides, how did you hear of me? I doubt I'm that popular in other worlds."

"...Other worlds...?" The high school student took a moment to think, and looked around at the scenery. A shop and a café were nearby, along with a pair of lampposts, and two big gates. There was even a mailbox. Wait a minute... "That's it! This is Traverse Town!"

"How'd ya guess? I didn't think it was that common a place for other worlds to know about it." The man looked down at Aldrick, and the teen couldn't say anything right away. It was a moment, then something came out of his mouth.

"I read a book about it." Damn, that's not believable...

"Sure ya did, but, I don't really care. Thought I'd just ask. Here we are." Cid had stopped in front of a shop, and Aldrick took a second to stop staring daggers into the man carrying him to realize that they were in front of the accessory shop.

As the man opened the door and stepped in, the warmth from the fireplace washed over the teen, and a small smile spread across his lips. Cid placed Aldrick on the couch in the back of the shop, and the latter couldn't help but sit up and look around the place as the former headed behind the counter.

The room was bigger than Aldrick remembered. But, then again, I'm not looking through a television screen... He peered in the glass showcase in the center of the room, and saw that each accessory was detailed, ornate, and expensive-looking.

"I made those myself." Cid spoke from behind the counter, a rag in his hand as he wiped it clean.

"You must be quite skilled with your hands..." Aldrick said quietly, looking over the decorations.

"My fingers may be rough, but I can work delicately with fragile things every now and then. Being a mechanic helps." Cid had gone quiet, too, and stopped cleaning for a moment before reaching behind himself and into his waistband, pulling out a familiar green book. "You had this with you when you appeared."

"My journal!" The excited teen got up and grabbed it, not feeling as faint as before. "But...it's almost filled..."

Cid scratched his stubble and thought for a moment, then went back to cleaning as Aldrick headed for the door. "I should warn you, it's not safe to go too far into the city. There are heartless running around."

Holding his journal tight, the teen nodded as he reached for the door to step out and explore his surroundings, only to have the door swing into his face.

The blow knocked him back and onto his ass again, his hands immediately going up to his nose. "Ow...that hurt..."

"Oh, I'm sorry." It was a young boy's voice, and Aldrick looked up, his gray eyes meeting sapphire ones.

"...You!"

To be continued...

* * *

Byne: I have to say I'm pretty proud of this. It probably isn't the best, but one of my friends read it ahead of time and said it was okay...so...yeah...Reviews would nice. 


	2. Appenticeship and a Bachelor's Pad

Mwahaha! Who would have thought. Ch.2 is out!

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I only own Aldrick.

"Speaking"

/Thinking\

_Writing_

* * *

Aldrick's eyes widened at the sight of the boy who opened the door. He was shorter than Aldrick, and obviously younger, with bright blue eyes. The older teen noted that they were brighter than even Cid's eyes. The boy also had brown hair, almost reminding the senior of cinnamon, which spiked up in every direction like he had stuck a wet finger in an electrical outlet. 

"...Is he okay?" Sora asked Cid, turning towards the man with a slightly confused look.

The man just shrugged. "No idea. The ki...He's pretty odd from what I've seen, and I've only known him for about...five minutes."

The keyblader turned back towards the older teen, a small hand extended to both shake the other's hand as well as help him up. "I'm Sora. Nice to meet you."

Aldrick grasped Sora's hand, stood up, and brushed himself off. "Aldrick." came out, and all the teenager could do was look down at his feet, or rather, Sora's feet, which were clad in large, yellow shoes. /Do I ask how he walks in those humongous shoes? Or do I stay quiet?\

The teen had pondered that question for a while, oblivious to the conversation the other two had, until the door shut, and the brunette had left.

"Where'd he go?"

"That kid? He went to try and find his two friends."

"Oh..." Aldrick knew what would happen next. He went to the door to listen as he heard the cold, stern voice from when he first appeared in Traverse Town. "Squall..." escaped his lips.

"Huh?" Cid looked up from the glass case in the center of the room that he was now cleaning. "Did you say somethin'?"

"No. Not a thing." Soon, the sounds of metal hitting metal could be heard though the door, along with gunshots and what sounded like fireballs flying though the air.

"Sounds like Leon. I've told him not to fight near the shop. Looks like I get to bitch at him again." Cid continued to clean, not even wondering who or what Leon was apparently fighting.

Aldrick looked over at the blonde man, wondering how he could say 'bitch'. /He never said anything remotely like a swear word in the game...but, then again, I'm here...\

The sound of a collapsing body told the teen that the fight was over, and a voice came to his ears from outside. It sounded like a young female, who was full of energy. "Yuffie..." came out in a whisper.

"Huh? Sounds like the fight's over. Why not go say hey?" Cid was now trying to dust the wall cabinet, reaching to get the dust off the top.

Aldrick just stared at the door, a little trace of fear in his eyes. He quickly shook his head, saying, "I don't think I trust it..."

Cid gave out a hearty laugh. "After what happened to you, I wouldn't either."

Aldrick went over to the couch again, sitting down and heaving a small sigh. "What are the others like?" The teen basically already knew, but decided that making small talk couldn't hurt.

The man scratched at his stubble, thinking for a moment. "Well, Leon's not exactly what you would call 'people-friendly', and Yuffie is kinda annoyin'. Aerith is quiet, but is pretty nice. Although, you'll probably be seein' them soon enough."

Aldrick just nodded as he turned around, staring at the glass case in the back wall, looking as though he was staring into the distance. "I wish I could make jewelry like you. It's so beautiful...But, then again, I want to stop being confused, too."

The artisan scratched his stubble once again, as he softly chewed on his toothpick. "Well, I can't help ya with the confusion, but the jewerly's no problem."

The teen's eyes seemed to come back into focus, and he looked over at the man behind the counter with even more confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

A smirk strayed onto the businessman's face. "Simple. I need an apprentice, and you're interested in making accessories. Do ya get it now?"

"...Apprentice? Well..." The teen grew silent, staring at the man, considering his options.

/I know this game from top to bottom, but I can't exactly fend for myself. I have no weapon, and no known fighting skills. I guess...\

"I guess it couldn't hurt..." Aldrick wasn't sure how this would turn out, but what was there to lose?

Cid clapped his hands together, his face beaming. "Great. I'll start teachin' you tomorrow. To celebrate, I'll make us steak tonight."

A small droplet of drool dripped from the corner of the senior's mouth, only to get wiped away before it traveled down his chin. Aldrick hadn't had steak in a long, long time.

"Once we close, I'll start makin' 'em. Till then, help me clean." Cid had reached under the counter, only to pull out a mop.

Normally, at his home, Aldrick would've laughed and tried to walk away, only to get forced into doing the cleaning regardless of his excuse. However, since he was obviously going to be living with Cid, he didn't want to be a bad guest. Without a single complaint, the teen grabbed the mop and started working on getting the floor clean.

* * *

After about thirty minutes of effort, the floor was sparkling, and Aldrick sat, curled up, on the couch, as Cid waited for a customer. Aldrick was on the brink of sleep, and didn't even hear the bell hanging off the door as two people entered the shop. 

"Hey, is he okay? You didn't work him like a pack mule, did you?" The teen could hear her voice, but didn't want to open his eyes. He was so close to falling asleep.

"You know I've only done that to you once, and that was because you broke my case." Cid was a little frustrated, but seemed to have good control over his temper.

"Then why is he over on the couch, passed out?" There was a sharp gasp, and she continued to talk. "He isn't dead, is he!?"

Rushed footsteps could be heard coming towards Aldrick, and he got a little worried, only to be annoyed.

"Hey, you alive?" She had started to poke the teen, not caring how irritable he might become.

"...Yes! I'm alive! Now, will you please stop poking me so I can get some sleep?" Aldrick yelled, not even opening his eyes.

"Fine, it's your own fault for not meeting the Great Ninja Yuffie. C'mon, Aerith. It should be safe to go back by now. You know how fast Leon works." The tired teen heard the two girls open the door and leave, and finally opened his eyes when he heard a bell in the distance.

"Damn, that heartless. Maybe Leon will get it this time." Cid had apparently been trying to read a book, but it had been set down as the man looked at the teen. "And maybe you should get to bed. The steaks will be for tomorrow."

Aldrick sighed as he got up, wanting the steak, but wanting a bed even more. He walked over to the counter, where Cid was pushing a button placed beneath the it. The wall slid open, and Cid walked down some stairs that were behind it, motioning for his new apprentice to follow.

Aldrick followed, now somewhat awake as he stared at the marvel of Cid's room being under the accessory shop. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, it almost seemed like he reached the inside of a house, minus the windows.

The living room had a small couch, along with a small television across from it. There were also what appeared to be a pair of matching ashtrays with many cigarette butts in each, along with some empty beer cans. The kitchen was small, looked pretty clean, but still had an ashtray and empty beer cans. Those two rooms were obvious from the bottom of the stairs, and Aldrick walked into the living room, noticing that he couldn't really smell the cigarette smoke, and looked up, seeing air vents.

"I was supposed to quit smokin', but just couldn't give it up. Same with the drinkin', but...well, you see how well that worked." Cid gave a small chuckle, and scratched the back of his head. "Well, let's get you into bed. C'mon." He went into a door in the living room, and the tired teen followed.

The room held a bookshelf, a bed, and two doorways. One was open, and looked to be a bathroom. The other, Aldrick figured it was a closet. Upon closer inspection, the bookshelf held a few books, some on making jewelry, others on flight and aerodynamics, and even a few on gummi ships.

Cid went into the supposed closet, pulling out a small mattress, and setting it on the floor, near the bed. "You'll get the bed for now, and I'll take the floor." was said as he went back to pull out a blanket and pillow.

Aldrick stumbled into the bed. His journal, which he hadn't let go of since he got it back, was placed on the floor near the head of the bed. Then, without taking off his clothes, crawled under the blankets and went immediately to sleep, not caring what Cid was doing.

To be continued...

* * *

Byne: This chapter is a little shorter. I'm hoping you readers like it. Well, I just gotta wait for the reviews. Be ready for ch. 3! 


	3. Bacon, Shoes, and a Chain

Wow, ch. 3. Guess I just keep chugging them out, huh?

Disclaimer: I own...not a thing...damn, the things I could do if I did...

* * *

The annoying sound of an alarm clock made Aldrick stir a little, but after a quick thud of something giving it a good whack, it quieted down. Some shuffling around could be heard, along with a door being closed and the sound of a shower being turned on.

The teen sat up; his eyes half-closed and glazed over. Mornings and Aldrick were like cats and water; the two never mixed well. After a few moments, he started to wake up more, and gazed at his surroundings.

A small gasp was followed by a sigh. "So, it wasn't a dream. Well, I guess I could be in worse predicaments..." Lifting the covers off himself, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, finding the small mattress Cid had pulled out the night before. The quilt that had been used seemed to have been chucked to the side in a hurry.

Figuring it was Cid who was in the shower, due to obvious reasons, the teen headed out of the bedroom, towards the kitchen. Kicking some empty beer cans out of the way, he opened the freezer. Inside was about thirty packs of cigarettes, and a pair of frozen steaks. Finding nothing edible in there, he opened the fridge, finding, to no surprise, many full cans of beer. He also found an almost empty carton of orange juice, and a pack of bacon. Grabbing the last two items, he placed them on the counter top.

Next, Aldrick tried to find a frying pan in any of the cabinets. One of the cupboards held random spices, and another held only a half-full pack of cigarettes. Shaking his head, he tried the cupboard above the stove, only to find bottles of liquor. There were quite a few, and each bottle had a different amount of alcohol left in them. Aldrick did note that only one bottle hadn't been opened, and he guessed it was a brand of tequila, seeing the worm in the amber colored liquid.

The next cupboard was the pots and pans, and after some searching, a frying pan was taken out and placed on one of the burners of the oven. After turning the burner on, the now thirsty teen looked for a glass, finding one in another cupboard. He rinsed it out with water from the sink, and poured the rest of the orange juice into it, setting the now empty container down on the counter.

As Aldrick took a sip, he shuddered as the tastes of orange juice and cigarettes mingled on his tongue. He spit the vile tasting juice into the sink, and poured his glass into it as well. /He drinks out of the carton _and_ backwashes!\

Checking the pan and realizing that it still wasn't hot enough, he decided to search for three things after placing his glass in the sink; the trashcan, a plate, and a spatula. The plate and spatula were easy, as they were in the same cupboard as the glasses. For good measure, he rinsed off the plate and spatula, and set them next to the stove as he now searched for the waste receptacle.

So that's how he survives... Aldrick found the trashcan beneath the sink, filled with fast food wrappers. After tossing the empty juice carton away, he reached over and decided to empty the kitchen ashtray as well. He figured that he would pick up the empty beer cans that littered the place, but was interrupted by a loud grumbling from his stomach.

Taking out some of the bacon from the pack, he started to cook them, moving and flipping them with the spatula to let them cook evenly. When the first batch of bacon was done, he used the spatula and lifted them to the plate, and started the second batch.

About halfway through the cooking process of the second batch of meat, a voice came from behind the hungry teenager. "You made breakfast? Great, less for me to do."

Aldrick turned to see Cid, wearing only a pair of black, baggy pants, with a white towel that was around his neck. The teen stared for a moment, as the shop owner's muscles glistened in the kitchen light, his body still moist from his shower. His hair, even though wet, still stuck into the air, as if it was attracted to the ceiling. Cid moved forward, and Aldrick turned back to the bacon in the pan.

Cid came close to his apprentice, and reached around to grab a piece of bacon. His arm grazed Aldrick's, and Aldrick turned crimson, trying block out all of the dirty thoughts he was having at the moment. In fact, he was trying so hard, that he failed to smell the smoke that drifted off the meat in the pan right in front of him.

"Whoa! Let me have that." Cid took the spatula, scooted Aldrick out of the way, and proceeded to put the batch of slightly burnt bacon onto the plate.

After the smoke cleared and entered the air vents into the ceiling, the man turned while biting into another piece of bacon. "Maybe you should take a shower now. I left some clothes for you in there with a towel. Then, come out n' eat. After that, I'll start your training."

All the teen could do was nod as he backed out of the kitchen, still staring at the muscular man in front of him. Once out of sight, he ran to the bathroom and shut the door. Turning towards the sink, he noticed that the clothes and towel were there, and after a glance in the mirror, Aldrick let out a small groan.

His hair, though normally kept down and in control, had the ability to regain it's wild look after sleep, and flew out in every direction imaginable. Does this mean that Cid saw me like this?...What am I thinking? He quickly shook his head, as if to dislodge his thoughts and send them flying.

He turned on the water and stripped, keeping his clothes in a semi-neat pile on the tiled floor by the sink. Once in the shower, he let the hot water flow down his body for a moment, then started to use the shampoo that was in there, which smelled faintly like coconut.

/...What...what happened to me back there? I've never done that before...Am I...gay...?\ Aldrick had usually only focused on school and video games, never wondering who around him was cute or hot. Love and lust never crossed his mind, so being gay was entirely possible. He shook his head, water flying from his hair. /Even if I am...not only do I have to live with him...but I'm his apprentice, too. Doesn't that...technically make him my master? "Gah!" Suddenly, a loud thud was heard as the teenager banged his head into the wall of the shower.

"You okay in there?" Cid's voice came from the other side of the door, and Aldrick's eyes widened as a panicked "Y-Yes!" came from his throat. The shop owner seemed to walk away, and all Aldrick could do was quietly finish washing himself.

With the shower out of the way, he dried himself off with the towel, and tied it around his waist. He wiped the steam off the mirror, and looked himself over. He had a little hair on his chest, and was thin, with only a little muscle tone. A sigh was let out, and he grabbed the clothes, which at least smelled like they were clean. Even though it felt a little weird putting on another man's clothes, especially his boxers, but it was a lot better than going naked. The boxers, a simple black, fit okay, but everything else was a little big. The t-shirt, a cotton one like Cid had on the day before, fit like a large t-shirt, and was loose. If he was as tall and muscular as Cid was, maybe it would be tight on him, too. The pants were green, and almost like pants for soldiers in the army. They were a little big, but Cid provided a black leather belt, which helped keep the pants from falling down to the teen's ankles. The socks, white, fit about as nice as the boxers, but the shoes, a pair of brown hiking boots, were a different story all together.

As Aldrick tried to walk in them after putting them on, he only managed to clumsily take two steps before stepping right out of them. He picked them up and carried them to the kitchen, where his roommate, while taking a sip from a can of beer and having a cigarette in between his fingers, was now wearing his goggles and a gray shirt that wasn't as tight as his white one.

"The clothes, I'm grateful for. However, the shoes...aren't exactly going to cut it." Aldrick said as he tossed the shoes in front of the man, who Aldrick noticed, was also wearing a pair of socks.

A chuckle escaped from the lips of the older male. "I didn't think so, but I tried. Looks like I got to take you shopping before we get to work. C'mon. Grab your breakfast and let's get out of here."

Aldrick grabbed a few pieces of bacon, and headed up the stairs after Cid, who had put on the boots that didn't fit the teen. /Did he plan this? If so, his laughs won't last long...\ Once they entered the store, the wall closed behind them, and the teen decided that he wanted to finally go outside and walk around.

As they stepped out of the shop and into the city, sunlight bathed both males, and Aldrick stood, mouth agape, as he looked on a city that seemed familiar, yet different. /In the game, it was always night...now there's a day?\ There were more people out than usual, especially children. Most of them were chasing a moogle around as it flew in circles above them, while some stayed close to the adults, shy. The adults were talking animatedly, gossiping about random things they heard.

"You coming?" Cid had started to walk off, and the younger male quickly followed, into the second district.

The second district had even more people. The three shops appeared busy, and a few couples were seen sitting on the benches, holding hands and whispering sweet nothings into each others ears. A child played in the fountain, splashing around. There was even an old man by the fountain, throwing out birdseed to a flock of hungry pigeons.

The teen followed Cid into the store that was named Boots and Shoes, and was told to "Pick a pair that fits, and I'll get it for ya." After looking around, he found a pair of black sneakers with white laces. They fit well, and Aldrick smiled a little as he walked out of the store while wearing them after Cid had paid for them.

They headed back to the store as the teen ate his bacon, and Cid went behind the counter once they got back to pull out some a pair of thick gloves and a few materials, ready to show Aldrick a step-by-step process of making a simple chain for around the neck.

Using a lighter, the artisan lit the fireplace, and stuck the small silver strips into the fire. After putting on the gloves and bringing his goggles down over his eyes, he pulled the now softened metal out of the fire, and using a pair of pliers, started to twist the strips and make small circles, wrapping the metal around the previous circle, until he had one silver strip left, which he wrapped around the first and last circles, making a silver chain that was simple, yet gorgeous.

After he placed the chain on the top of the fireplace to cool, he pulled off his gloves and put his goggles back into place at the top of his head. "That's pretty much it, but that's also the easiest thing to teach." A small smile appeared, as if he had high hopes for his new apprentice. "However, you aren't going to start work today. We've got people to meet."

"People?" The teen had been staring at the beauty of the chain, and wasn't really paying attention, but managed to catch the last sentence.

"Yeah. Leon wants to meet you, and so do Aerith and Yuffie. Besides, I have to tell them the news of my new apprentice." Cid acted a little proud at this, but Aldrick only laughed.

"Well, then I guess we should go ahead so you can introduce me." There was a hint of excitement in his voice, as he wanted to meet the others, too. This time, he swore his eyes would be open for it.

"Then let's move out." The man couldn't stop beaming, as he and Aldrick headed off to the sewers to meet with Leon and the others.

To be continued...

* * *

Byne: Yay! Leon makes his appearance...or rather, a _true_ appearence... Review please! Do I really need to beg? 


	4. A Nosebleed and a Cookie

Yay for Ch. 4! If you can't tell already, I like awkward moments, so this story has a lot of them.

Diclaimer: I don't own KH...

"Speaking"

_Writing_

/Thinking\

* * *

Leaving the shop, the two males headed into the second district, passing by playing children and gossiping adults. They passed through, and headed towards the third district. 

The plaza had soft music playing, and Aldrick saw older couples dancing to the tune as children played with their toys nearby. The teen watched, trying to follow the dance steps of the couples. He never really liked dancing, but, every-so-often, he had the urge to start.

After a minute of clumsy movements, and a hearty laugh from Cid, a now red Aldrick followed his roommate to a door that was adorned with a picture of fire. The shop owner pulled out a lighter from one of his pockets, sparked a flame from it, and set it against the door. The flame on the door reacted to the flame from the lighter, and the door's flame lit up, and the entire door lifted up, making a doorway as Cid repocketed the lighter.

The room beyond the door was a large, spherical cavern. Water surround a small island into the center of the cave, with a shabby looking home taking up most of the island's space. Aldrick stared at the house, before looking down at the water. A small groan was let out as the teen gazed upon the only dry path to the house; five stone platforms floating in the water. They moved left and right, and Aldrick sighed.

/I could do this in the game...but I can't jump like Sora...\

"You gonna jump?" The teen jumped in surprise, as Cid had leaned over and whispered into the younger male's ear.

"Gimme a minute!" After a deep breath, and a few steps back, the teen made a running start, and leaped, barely making it onto the platform. He took a moment to brace himself, then flashed a proud smile at the mechanic.

Cid's only response was walking forward, then casually jumping, with apparently very little effort. He landed gracefully next to the teen, flashing him a small smirk. "I hate you." was Aldrick's response.

As the man pulled out a toothpick from his pocket, the teen stepped back, reaching the back edge of the platform. When he thought the timing was right, he ran and jumped.

Aldrick successfully landed on the next platform, but because it was going in an opposite direction than the previous one, his feet slipped out from beneath him, and he started to fall face first towards the water.

There was a centimeter between his nose and the water when he stopped falling, his breaths making tiny ripples on the surface of the liquid. Cid had jumped over and grabbed the back of the teen's borrowed shirt, barely stopping him from becoming drenched.

"You need some help?" Cid sneered, having fun with the teen.

Aldrick turned his head to the side, away from the man, and mumbled a barely audible "...Maybe."

The shop owner chuckled, and, in one swift motion, lifted the teen into his arms, and effortlessly jumped across the rest of the platforms. Upon reaching land, he set the now blushing teen down.

Cid stretched a little, a smirk on his face as he said "That was pretty easy."

The younger male turned a brighter shade of red, and said "Shut up!" as he stormed into the house, a chuckling Cid following.

Aldrick looked around the room seeing it bare except for a few pieces of trash scattered around the room, and a book cover that rested on a raised platform in the center of the room. The pages of the book, which were bundled under the cover and tied together with a thin, red ribbon, seemed to have been torn out. An innocent looking note sat on top of the cover, and a curious teenager decided that the note should be read.

_Cid, please fix this book. I feel bad for it. Thanks. -Merlin_

Blinking at the note, then looking at the book pieces again, Aldrick realized that it was the 'Winnie the Pooh' book that Cid had fixed in the game. "Cid, I believe this is for you..."

The mechanic walked over and glanced at the note. "...hn." A quick grunt was let out, and he grabbed the book cover, along with it's pages, and shoved them into one of his pockets.

The shop owner walked over to an oddly-shaped stone, and stood on it, motioning for his apprentice to stand next to him. When Aldrick stepped on the stone, Cid stomped his foot, and the stone descended into the sewers below.

Once the stone stopped moving, Cid immediately walked down the stairs in front of him, leaving Aldrick to do his usual routine of following his roommate.

"What did I tell you about fighting things near the shop?!" Cid's gruff voice bounced off the walls, echoing to Aldrick, who started to walk down the stairs.

"I did what was necessary at the time." The same cold voice he had heard before. /Squall...no, Leon...\

"Regardless, you could have damaged the shop! Or, even worse, you could have damaged my new apprentice!" Aldrick stopped walking, his hand covering his mouth to stop from letting out a gasp. /Does that mean...that Cid cares for me?\

As the teen continued to descend down the stairs, hearing who he thought was Leon say a distant "Whatever."

Reaching the bottom step, the youngest of the three males took a few steps in, only to stop and stare. Leon was there, all right. He had apparently been working out, his gunblade leaning against the wall. His tight, leather pants showed his hips, accentuating them. His boots seemed wet, as if he recently stepped in the nearby water. What had Aldrick really staring was Leon's muscular chest. His shirt was by his gunblade, and his muscles were shining in the faint light from the sweat that had formed from the apparently intense work-out. Cid had his arm around Leon, showing their friendship. /Cid...and Leon...together...Ack!\

Aldrick quickly turned around, trying to hold his now bleeding nose shut. He could hear a very slightly confused gunblader ask "Is he alright?", which was quickly followed by "Yeah, he's just kinda odd." from the mechanic.

/No! I've got to stop these thoughts!\ Aldrick started to panic a little, his mind flashing some 'suggestive' thoughts.

"Ki...Aldrick, you might want to move..." Cid had said, a little worry in his voice.

"Why?" That was all Aldrick could get out when he turned around. He was suddenly interrupted by a shrill scream of "Ninja!" and being tackled to the ground by a black haired girl. His hands flew out to try to keep his balance, causing his plugged nose to gush blood. He lay on the ground, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. "Ow..."

"What the fuck did you do to him?!" It was Cid, who had rushed over and gave Yuffie a hard knock on her head.

"Ow! I didn't do anything! Well, I tackled him, but I didn't touch his nose." Yuffie tried to get herself out of trouble, as a set of footsteps came from the stairs, followed by a soft "Oh my!"

A piece of metal could be heard being placed on the ground, and Aldrick could suddenly smell something. "I smell...flowers..." He sat up, his nose blood-free and his body no longer in pain.

He turned to thank whoever had helped him, only to see Aerith. A quick gasp was followed by a quiet "Thank you..." as he stood up to brush himself off.

"I'm glad you're okay. After hearing that you're Cid's new apprentice, I don't think that you being hurt would have gone well." A small giggle came from her. She lifted the tray that was beside her, and put it in front of Aldrick. He noticed four glasses, and guessed one was for him. He took it, nodding in thanks, and looked at it. It looked like soda, so he figured trying it wouldn't be too bad.

Leon was about to say something, when Cid held up his hand to stop him, watching Aldrick as he, Leon, and Yuffie took their glasses, but didn't drink from them.

As Aldrick took a drink, he shuddered, not able to tell what he was tasting until Aerith spoke up. "Do you like it? I always thought soda tasted great with milk." He struggled to swallow, but managed to choke it back. He gave a small nod, saying "Yummy..." before turning away and sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"You should have told him not to drink it..." The teen heard Leon, who was putting his shirt back on, whisper to Cid , and made sure to remember that it was the mechanic who had wanted this to happen. An evil smile lurked it's way onto Aldrick's face as he looked towards Cid. /Just remember, payback's a bitch.\

With Aerith now gone, as she headed back to grab the cookies she made, the three older people in the room poured their drinks out onto the ground, and Aldrick willingly followed suit.

The teen's eyes pleaded to Cid that he wanted to head back, and the mechanic nodded. "Me and the ki...Aldrick should be heading back. We have to eat, yet, and we have an early day tomorrow."

The two others nodded, and Yuffie started to pout a little, mumbling something about it "Not being fair..." The two started to head back up, and met Aerith on the stairs. Her tray now held many cookies. She seemed sad that the two males were leaving, but Aldrick took a cookie, which quickly cheered her up.

Once back into the cavern, Cid, without so much as a word of warning, picked up his roommate, and leaped across the floating platforms, setting Aldrick down once they reached the other side. The teen, though blushing, only turned a faint pink, and he stepped out of the cavern, into the light of the setting sun.

He looked at the cookie, and took a small bite, spitting it out quickly after tasting it. This time, he couldn't even fathom what she used as ingredients.

"She puts soy sauce in them." Cid had come up behind the teen, and walked past, heading to the shop in the first district.

"..." He couldn't come with anything to say as he tossed the cookie to the side, running after the man.

* * *

Back in their home, Cid started making the two steaks, and Aldrick sat in the living room, watching the television. He had been flipping through channels until he found a news station, talking about some squirrel that had apparently stolen enough peanuts from a store to fill a five pound bag. After some other random news stories, and a weather report saying there might be a chance of rain, Cid called for the teen, and motioned to the two steaks that sat on plates on a folding card table. 

As he sat in one of the folding chairs, he examined his steak with a look of confusion. There was, what Aldrick guess, about a pound of random seasonings on it. Being a little fearful of the meat, he poked it with his fork, realizing that the fork wouldn't even go in. "Ummm, Cid? I can't eat this."

Cid had been chugging a beer, a lit cigarette between his finger. "What? Is it too strong for you?"

"In a sense..." Aldrick, with the mechanic now watching, stabbed his steak as hard as he could. The tines bent with relative ease, and the teen lifted his now bent fork. "...Yes, it is."

Cid just shrugged, and continued to chug his beer. Aldrick excused himself, and got up, going into the bathroom and closing the door. Once he was done taking care of business, he flushed and stepped out, only to have a pair of blue and white striped pajama pants tossed into his face. "You can wear those." was all the mechanic said before going into the bathroom himself.

Aldrick quietly changed, and crawled into the bed, his thought turning to the day he had. He had never been this happy in the longest time, and he smiled as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

To be continued...

* * *

Byne: And Ch. 4 is finished! Woohoo! R&R...please?... -makes Chibi eyes- Pweeease? 


	5. Laundry and a bottle of Tequila

Boredom and free time mix well :).

Disclaimer: Same as usual. I don't own Kingdom Hearts...-grumbles-

* * *

Aldrick could hear the alarm clock, along with a muffled "Shit..." The teen opened his eyes, and saw an arm creep out from beneath the lump of a blanket on the floor, searching for the source of the annoying noise. 

When the alarm was turned off, the teen closed his eyes again, and listened as Cid made his way from the floor to the bathroom, then into the shower.

It seemed like only a few seconds when the teen opened his eyes again, hearing only silence from his new home. The bathroom door was open, and the shower was empty. /Did I fall back asleep?\ ran through his mind, and he got out of the bed and went into the shower, taking off his borrowed pants along the way.

Once he was done, the warm water having revitalized him, he got out and grabbed the towel that was on the counter next to the sink, noticing a piece of paper as it drifted from beneath the towel to the floor. Picking it up, he smiled as he read the quickly scrawled message.

_Went to buy food. Clothes are in the closet. --Cid_

Drying himself off, he wrapped the now slightly damp towel around his waist and headed back into the bedroom. Opening the closet, Aldrick realized that it was a walk-in version. A few clothes, mostly shirts, were hanging on hangers off a horizontal bar that ran the depth of the closet, but most of the clothes were crumpled and tossed into a large pile in the back. With a sigh, and a decision to one day do the laundry, Aldrick peered through the drawers that were built into the closet walls.

Finding only four pairs of white socks, seven pairs of boxers, and two pairs of pants in the drawers, he sighed. "Tomorrow, we'll definitely need to do laundry..." He grabbed a pair of the white socks, a pair of dark green silk boxers, and a pair of black cargo pants. He sifted through the dirty laundry, finding the belt he used the day before, along with two shirts that smelled of spilled beer, and a pair of pants with a cigarette burn in the left thigh.

Putting on the belt, he looked over the clean shirts, and grabbed a blue one that had a flame on the back that was a darker shade of blue. Fully dressed, he stepped out into the living room, turning on the television and taking a seat on the couch. As the news talked about a heartless attack that was thwarted by Leon, Aldrick could hear Cid coming down the stairs.

Getting up to meet Cid, the teen saw that the mechanic carried bags of food from some store, and was going to the kitchen to put them away. He also carried two fast food hamburgers along with a bag filled with a large bundle of the silver strips he used to make the silver chain the day before.

"Good, you're dressed. Eat up, then we'll see if you can copy what I did yesterday." Cid was still putting away food, and Aldrick managed to catch a glimpse of a bottle, with the writing _Paopu Fruit Cream Soda_ on the label.

"...Yeah, I'll try." Aldrick was a little nervous, but figured he couldn't avoid it. /Best to get it done and over with, right?\

After the teen unwrapped his burger, he basically inhaled it, and headed upstairs, following Cid. In the shop, Cid reached under the counter, pulling out a pair of gloves and tossing them to his apprentice, along with his goggles and the bag of silver strips.

After lighting the fire with his lighter, the mechanic sat behind the counter, and started to work on fixing the book that Merlin asked to be fixed. Aldrick sat in front of the fire, the gloves and goggles on, as he threw some of the strips into the fire.

Once the metal was hot enough to bend, he reached in and pulled out one of the pieces, and tried to bend it into a circle. It didn't go that well, and he created what appeared to be an oval. With his first attempt failed, he tried again, this time creating the shape of a teardrop. This got him thinking, and he decided to go with what he knew he could do. Using the rest of the strips from the fire, he formed them into teardrops, and formed a chain, using the final strip to link it into a full loop. Right as he finished, Cid himself put the last of the pages he had into the book and glued it in. Both let out a "Finished."

Cid came over and examined the necklace, nodding in approvement. "Not like mine, but I think it'll definitely sell. I do believe this calls for a celebration!"

Aldrick's eyebrow twitched. The last celebration involved inedible steaks, so what would this one entail? He tried the first excuse in his head. "Um, maybe we should do laundry? I mean, it's kinda piling up..."

Cid went from happy to sad to serious in a total of two seconds. "I guess, but then, we celebrate. Understand?"

The teen was already off, tossing the gloves and goggles at the mechanic after setting the chain on the fireplace to cool, trying to grab as many of the nasty clothes he could, and put them in one of the only two laundry baskets the mechanic owned. "Cid...why do you only have two laundry baskets? And so many dirty clothes?"

The man shrugged as he piled clothes into his basket. "Just never got around to getting it done. And only two laundry baskets because that's all I usually need." Cid now picked up his filled basket, which held two-thirds of the dirty clothes, causing only his hair to be visible. Noticing that the clothes had managed to completely cover three spears from view, the teen grabbed the rest of the of the clothes, and started after the man, who was already at the stairs and leaving.

* * *

The two went inside the Laundromat, and started to sort the laundry. Once sorted between lights, darks, and whites, Aldrick got started on getting them into the washing machines, while Cid pulled out Munny to start them. 

When all six washing machines were started, Cid and Aldrick sat on two of the chairs. Cid was tapping his foot out of boredom, and Aldrick was reading a book that was handed to him by a woman leaving. It was a romance novel, and though not that appealing to the teen, he decided it would pass the time.

The mechanic tapped his foot repeatedly, until the younger male finally said "If you get someone else to help, you can go." The man's mood seemed to brighten, and he disappeared for a minute. Aldrick thought he just ran off, but was relieved when he came back. He was accompanied by a happy Aerith, an ambivalent Leon, and a pouting Yuffie. He then said a quick "Later!" and ran off towards the shop, a large grin on his face.

After about an hour of waiting, the wash got transferred into the dryers. "I'm sorry Cid dragged you into this, but sometimes I think I'm more mature than he is." Aldrick started to apologize, his head tilted down.

"It's no problem. I don't mind helping." Aerith was smiling, patiently waiting for the dryers to buzz.

"...Whatever." Leon was reading a weapons magazine, seemingly ignoring everything around him.

"Don't worry. The old man's the one who's going to be sorry." Yuffie had a glint in her eye, as she wrung her hands mischievously.

Once the dryers were done, the four started to fold, each in their own way. Aldrick neatly folded the socks and boxers, Leon took over the shirts, and Aerith refolded the pants that Yuffie failed at folding properly the first time. The clothes were then put in the laundry baskets, and Leon and the teen took the two baskets back to the shop as the two girls went back to their respective homes.

Leon dropped the basket he was carrying on the store counter, and left, as the teen started to take his basket down. Once he brought both baskets down, he entered the kitchen, and pulled out the bottle that Cid had put in the fridge that was labeled 'Paopu Fruit Cream Soda'. He poured some into a glass, and put the bottle back into the fridge, where it would rest amongst the numerous cans of beer.

Looking at the counter, Aldrick noticed a conveniently placed empty bottle next to the sink. What appeared to be a worm sat nestled against the bottom, and Aldrick shook his head. No...he didn't...

A pair of arms wrapped around the teen's waist, and the smell of alcohol passed by his nose. "What...What are you doing?!" the teen cried, blushing horribly at the physical contact.

"I...I'm protectin' ya...from...the shark...in the sink..." Cid's head was next to the apprentice's, and the whispers sent shivers down Aldrick's spine.

"I..." He stood there for a minute, enjoying the clumsy embrace. Soon, he shook his head. "I can protect myself. Let me go."

"No." A simple response, which almost made the teen melt into the man's arms.

"Yes. Now let me go." Aldrick knew the man was severely drunk, and that taking advantage of it would be wrong. Damn my conscience!

The arms slowly slid away, and Aldrick ran off into the bedroom, leaving a sloshed Cid to stare at the sink. Taking off all but his boxers, he crawled into bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep with a faint shade of pink covering his face.

* * *

When the teen started to wake up, he felt like something was on top of him. Something on his legs, and another over his chest. Confused, he opened his eyes, and covered his mouth, quickly stifling a squeak. 

Cid lay sprawled on the bed, clad in only a pair of dark red boxers. His arm and leg were what was on top of Aldrick, and the teen panicked, a little blood dripping from his nose. /Oh my God! So close! He smells like alcohol and cigarettes. But, I smell...something like...sweat...Ah! Stop it! Stop, stop, stop, stop!\

The teen plugged his nose, as he tried to think of what to do. /Okay, relax. If I wake him up, it would only be awkward. But, what if he just says 'hi'? No, he wouldn't say that! Be serious! Maybe if I slowly shift my way out from under him?\

The teen slowly moved his body, inching his way towards the wall. The leg was the first to fall off, making a small thump as it hit the bed. Soon, the arm hit the bed as well, and Aldrick was so relieved, he got up as fast as he could and leapt over the sleeping mechanic. Tripping a little, he ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him, stuffing toilet paper into his nose to try and stop the bleeding.

Meanwhile, a sleepy Cid lifted his head at the sound of a door, then just shrugged it off and put his head back down, passing out once again.

To be continued...

* * *

Ah, Alcohol. One of man's own elixirs of truth...or at least one for funny and awkward moments :). R&R... 


	6. Some Bloody Tissue and a Surprise Chef

Yay, ch.6 is up! And I got a review! And...I guess I should thank andrhats for reminding me to enable anonymous reviews. Oops? Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk...

"Speaking"

/Thinking\

_Writing_

* * *

His heart in his throat, and toilet paper shoved in his nostrils, Aldrick tried to calm himself down. /He was drunk. He just passed out. He looked so good...Ack! He's not interested!\

Aldrick banged his head against the door, letting out a large sigh. /Why me? Why him?...Fuck!\ He was confused, and being near Cid only made things worse.

After calming down a little, he opened the door, and let out a yelp in surprise. Cid, who was now semi-awake, had been coming to the bathroom, and now stood outside the open door. He gracelessly scratched himself as he walked in, grumbling "I gotta piss." The teen ran out, slamming the door behind him. A flush could soon be heard, followed by the shower being turned on.

Going into the closet, Aldrick grabbed the closest clothes to him. A pair of white boxers, beige cargo pants, a black leather belt, a pair of socks, and a black shirt with a green spiral on the back. Taking off the boxers from the night before, he hastily put on the clothes he grabbed, deciding that his shower could wait until later.

Leaving the bedroom, the teen went to the kitchen, grabbed an apple from the refrigerator, and headed back to the living room. Taking a bite as he sat on the couch, he tried to sort out his muddled thoughts.

/He's not interested. But, I can't deny my thoughts...or my feelings. I first thought that I was happy because I left my sub-par reality...but I'm happy because of Cid, aren't I?\

The teen heaved a sigh as took another bite. /He won't like me like that. I should...I should keep my distance...\

Footsteps could be heard after the shower was turned off. Cid could be heard going through his closet, grumbling inaudible gibberish. Aldrick rushed himself, eating his apple as quickly as possible to get away. He was about to take his last bite when the mechanic entered, wearing baggy blue pants and a forest green shirt. The master gazed at his apprentice, a look of confusion crossing his face. "What the hell happened to you?"

The teen returned the confused look with one of his own, then realized that there was still toilet tissue crammed into his nose. Tugging the temporary plugs out, revealing bloodstained tips, he calmly said "Oh, nothing. Just a small nosebleed."

"Let me take a look..." The shop owner walked over, and tilted the teen's head back, taking a careful look up each nostril. "Well, the bleedin' stopped, so you should be fine."

Aldrick, though loving the contact, blushed and swatted the man's hands away. "I told you it was nothing." Taking his last bite, he went to throw away his apple core. "Come up when you've finished eating. We'll get to work."

"...Sure." Cid then turned quiet. By the time the mechanic had grabbed an apple for himself, Aldrick had his shoes on and was at the top of the stairs, opening the wall to step into the shop.

The store seemed unusually quiet. Aldrick peered around, and noticed a slightly moving shadow in the corner by the fireplace. Quietly slipping his left shoe off, he gave it a strong toss, sending it flying into the corner. The teen was rewarded with an "Ow!"

"That voice...Yuffie?" The teen queried, and the hyper kunoichi stepped out into the open, flashing a faint smile as she rubbed her head. "I must be getting rusty for you to find me. But that's not the point. Now shush so I can get back at the old man."

Aldrick nodded silently. As the teen quickly retrieved his shoe to place it back on his foot, the ninja managed to scale the back wall of the shop, and stuck herself to the ceiling. Just as soon as the apprentice finished slipping his shoe on, a serious looking Cid opened the wall and stepped into the light of the shop.

A small and playful smirk appeared on his face, and the teen couldn't help but say "Uh, Cid? You might want to move."

"Why?" was all Cid could let out before being interrupted by a scream of "Ninja!", then was knocked to the floor by a falling Yuffie.

"God damn it! What the fuck was that for!?" Cid stood, holding up a certain 'Great Ninja' by her collar.

"That's for making me do your laundry. Besides, I need to deliver a message." The mechanic let the ninja go, and after giving a quick salute, spoke. "Sora has come back, and needs you to figure out what to do about an unknown gummi."

"Hm...alright, I'll be there." Cid went behind the counter, grabbing the mostly put-together book he fixed for Merlin. "The kid'll be good enough to deliver this to the old coot for me."

Heading out the door, holding the book and pushing out Yuffie, he turned his head, speaking to the teen with a hint of worry in his voice. "I'll send someone to watch over you. I'll be back sooner or later..."

The teen shrugged, and Cid seemed to look a little sad as he left, but the teen headed downstairs to deal with his own problems. Once back in his spot on the couch, the teen curled himself up, placing his chin on his knees as he listened to the silence, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

/Why? Why was I such an ass? Why does it hurt so much? Damn it!\ No matter what the teen thought, he ended up back in square one.

Deciding that he just needed to keep busy, cleaning crossed his mind. "He does need it...Yeah, it'll give me something to do..." Going into the kitchen, he grabbed a few trash bags from beneath the sink, and slowly started to pick up the beer cans that littered the home.

Boots could be heard coming down the stairs, and a slightly emotional Aldrick tried to calm himself, in case it was Cid. Turning to see who had come, the teen was greeted with the sight of a certain stoic brunette, and sighed a little inside.

Leon just gave a small wave, and headed into the kitchen. As the younger male cleaned the living room, what sounded like running water and chopping could be heard. He peeked his head into the kitchen, and gazed in disbelief.

Leon was wearing a black apron, and was chopping vegetables for what appeared to be a soup or stew. Skillfully wielding the knife, he seemed as ambivalent as ever as the veggies were cut and placed in the pot.

Suddenly, Leon stopped, setting the knife down on the cutting board and crossing his arms. "What." Not a question, but more of a command to make Aldrick talk, which worked quite well.

"...I never expected you to be able to cook. In fact, I didn't expect you at all." Aldrick had walked beside Leon, and was poking his fingers together as he intently stared at the counter. His nervousness showed, but he stayed where he was.

"...Whatever. If I didn't learn to cook for myself, I probably wouldn't be alive. And the reason I'm here...is because Cid trusts me with you."

Aldrick looked up, eyes wide with surprise. "Wha...What?"

"Cid didn't trust Yuffie to watch you, she's too spastic. Aerith's cooking is deadly. I'm left. Besides, he thinks a lot of you."

Aldrick's eyes welled up with tears, and nothing came from his mouth. He just stared at the counter again, letting Leon continue.

"He read your journal. Now that you've started to distance yourself from him, he's worried about what you'd do to yourself."

This was what broke the teen's emotional dam. Tears trickled down Aldrick's face as he sobbed and sniffled. "I...I...I didn't want to get close...only because...because...I didn't think he'd...like me...the way...I liked him... I was an...ass to him...and he still...thinks of me. I don't know...what I should do..."

Leon shrugged, letting only one word come from between his lips. "Apologize."

Aldrick shook his head, his sobs becoming less frequent, his tears slowing in production. "I can't just apologize...It won't be enough..."

Leon reached in his pocket, pulling out a key and tossing it to the teen. "There are moogles on the top floor of this building. They synthesize items into new ones. They owe me a favor. Tell them I sent you, and they might help you with your problem."

The teen nodded. Heading for the stairs, he turned and said a quiet "Thank you..." before running into the shop and out the front door. The gunblader shrugged, saying "Whatever..." as he went back to preparing the stew.

Aldrick went around the back of the building, and stopped in front of the door. Looking down at the key, he realized the key chain attached to it was the profile view of the head of a lion, carved into silver. Taking a deep breath, the teen placed the key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door.

Aldrick was greeted by something cute and fluffy flying into this face, saying "Sorry, we're not open now, kupo. Please leave."

To be continued...

* * *

Byne: Yes, I find moogles cute and fluffy bundles of cuteness. More on them in the next chapter:) Now, R&R please -bows in hopes politeness will make people want to review more-


	7. Project H and a Fight

Ch.7! Once again, I'd like to thank andrhats for reviewing -bows-. Now, if only others would review...I don't bite, I swear!(well, maybe...but only on Cid...) Now, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I, Byne, hearby say I don't own KH or it's character's...but, I do own my fantasies...-daydreams and drools a little-

"Speaking"

/Thinking\

_Writing_

* * *

Aldrick's head tilted to the side. "You're a moogle..."

The moogle, which had almost assaulted the teen's face upon his entrance, now stood on one of the two long workbenches. Aldrick resisted the urge to grab it and cuddle with it, seeing as how it looked so cute. It crossed its fluffy arms, saying "Yes, I'm a moogle, kupo. Now, leave."

Breaking out of his stupor, the teen showed the key to the moogle, saying "I was sent by Leon."

Quickly flying over and snatching the key, it examined the key chain, running its paw over it. "Hmmm, the material was made by us...and the craftsmanship is definitely Cid's...Okay, this definitely belongs to Leon. Now, what are you here for, kupo?"

The teen looked away for a moment, then refocused his gaze on the cute bundle of fluff. "I...need to apologize to...Cid. And an apology isn't enough. I want to get him something, and Leon said you could help, Mr. Moogle."

The creature sighed. "First of all, my name isn't 'Mr. Moogle'...it's Kuroc. Second, kupo...are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Umm...I don't know what he would like." Aldrick scratched the back of his head, and gave a sheepish grin.

Kuroc placed his face in his paw, shaking his head. "That's...not that helpful, kupo. But...we could always..."

His eyes bright with hope, the teen nodded, waiting for an idea from the creature that surpassed cute.

"We have been trying a new combination of materials...It's still experimental, kupo, but it could be useful to you."

"Anything! Please!" Aldrick was desperate, and anything would be better than nothing.

"All right then, kupo! Moogles! Grab the materials for project H!" There was a scramble as Kuroc and the other two moogles seemed to scrambled around, looking for whatever they needed for the experimental item.

They lined up the shards they found on the work bench, and the curious teen looked over them. One looked as though a bright light was contained in it. Another, like a small black hole. There was a shard of what looked like silver, along with one filled with frost and one with a lightning bolt flying around inside of it.

Kuroc then started to explain. "We've been trying to create a new item, kupo, and have come up with the right ingredients for what we call 'project H'. Using these six shards--"

"There are only five." Aldrick was still looking over the beauty of the shards when he quickly interrupted the moogle.

"What? No, kupo, there are..." Quickly counting the shards, he yelled "Where is the blaze shard?!"

The nearest of the two moogles shrank away, mumbling "...We don't seem to have any more..."

"...You've got to be kidding, kupo." Turning to Aldrick, he made a small bow. "Without a blaze shard, we can't do anything. Sorry."

The teen looked like he had fallen into despair, until his face brightened with an idea. "What if...I get it for you? I mean, there are still heartless around..."

Kuroc rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, it could work... All right, get the picture."

As one of the moogles flew over to the wall, Aldrick watched it. It came back with a drawing of what looked to be a red bell drawn with crayons. /So cute...\ crossed through the teen's mind.

"That is a Red Nocturne. Specializing in fire magic, it's quick, but weak. It should be like the other heartless, kupo, and start appearing right before nightfall. Be careful, though. If you take too long, more heartless will show up. Actually, I'll go with you. I'll grab the shard and come back here with it. Once I do, I'll create the item, kupo, and wait for you. How's that sound?"

"...Good. I'll do it." Aldrick turned serious, and nodded fiercely, his eyes burning with passion.

"Fine. Go get ready, and meet me back here when you're done." Kuroc started to grab things from around the room, and one of the other moogles opened a trapdoor leading into the accessory shop.

Going down the ladder and into his home, the teen could smell the stew. Leon had finished, and even ate his portion already, and was sitting on the couch, watching the news. "Eat." Leon commanded, and Aldrick did as he was told. Inhaling the stew, all while savoring the exquisite taste, he got up and put his bowl in the sink.

Going as quick as possible, he walked into the bedroom, entered the closet, and grabbed one of the three spears that were once covered by dirty laundry. He walked out, feeling Leon's gaze as he passed by, and stopped at the stairs. "I'll be back." he whispered, then walked up the stairs and headed back to the synthesis shop.

Leon went back to watching the news, smirking. "He's stubborn, but strong. Just like Cid..."

* * *

Wielding the spear, Aldrick and Kuroc headed to the Second District. The setting sun cast a vermilion glow on the two, and the streetlights were starting to turn on. They didn't have much time, and were frantically looking around the now barren plaza.

Aldrick soon spotted a floating object, realizing that it was red and shaped almost like a bell. "Is...that it?" He asked his partner.

"Yep. Now, let's defeat it and hope it has the shard, kupo."

Aldrick nodded, and tried sneaking up on it. Once close enough, the teen thrust the spear into the creature, causing damage, but not enough.

Now realizing that it was being attacked, it fired a fireball at Aldrick, who tried jumping out of the way. The fireball nicked the sleeve of his shirt, and he quickly patted it out. Trying to skewer the heartless, he repeatedly thrust at it as he chased it around the plaza. Most of the time the teen missed, but managed to finally hit it, causing it to disappear into a puff of black smoke, watching as a heart floated towards the sky, and a glowing shard fell to the ground.

Picking up the shard, Aldrick could feel warmth radiating from it, and could see a small blaze glowing inside the shard. "Yep, that's a blaze shard, kupo. We got lucky to get it on the first try. Uh Oh..." The moogle looked towards the sky, and noticed that stars could be spotted in the black abyss above.

The teen looked up, and tossed the shard at the flying ball of fluff. "Get that to the shop, and make the item. I'll follow as quickly as possible." The moogle quickly flew off, and the teen started to run after it.

However, night had fallen, and soon portals of darkness could be seen forming in the light of the street lamps. "Damn..."

Soon, heartless were swarming the plaza, and Aldrick tried to run through, dodging everything in his path. Soon, he was cornered by four heartless. A Soldier, a Shadow, another Red Nocturne, and a Large Body were closing in on him, and left him no escape route.

Trying to find the easiest enemy, he struck at the Shadow. He thought he was going to be successful, until it sank into the ground, leaving him open. The soldier leapt forward, giving a swift kick. The blow nailed the teen in the face, leaving him dazed enough to be open once again. Trying to recover, his leg was hit with a fireball from the mage heartless, causing him to cry out in pain and fall to his knees.

He managed to focus enough to block a blow from the fat heartless, only to hear the spear crack in the center. While the Large Body attacked, so did the shadow, clawing at Aldrick. Unable to turn quickly enough to block, the strike hit, causing another cry of pain to ring from the teen's throat.

The mini knight struck again, and Aldrick blocked it, only to feel the spear break, and shrapnel flying towards him, cutting his face. Using the broken spear, he thrust at the soldier, knocking it away, but that was all. He threw the pieces at the Large Body, only to watch them bounce off the heartless' belly.

They closed in even more, and Aldrick was scared. In fact, he was terrified. But, he didn't close his eyes or stay down. He stood up, wincing at the pain from his burned leg, and raised his head defiantly. They would not be able to stop him. He would get back, somehow, some way, to the others...to Cid...

The fat heartless was about to strike, but stopped in mid-swing, looking up. Aldrick looked up, too, and noticed something falling at great speeds. After a second, he managed to process who it was, and smiled.

Cid came crashing down on the heartless, his spear embedding itself deep in the creature's body, before the heartless vanished into a puff of smoke. The other three heartless went down with ease, and all that was left was Cid and Aldrick.

Still standing, but barely, the teen looked at the mechanic, seeing anger and fury etched into the man's face. /I can't blame him. I was stupid...\

A loud smack could be heard throughout the plaza, and Aldrick was floored. The apprentice had been backhanded by his master. Although, instead of staying down, he stood up again, accepting his punishment. He had been burned, slashed, beaten, mauled, and now backhanded, but still stood in front of the man.

Cid made another movement, and Aldrick closed his eyes, waiting for the blow, only to feel arms wrap around him. He opened his eyes and looked up, seeing a crying mechanic holding him tightly.

"Why? Why would you be this stupid?!" he cried out, not letting go.

Aldrick buried his face in the man's chest, starting to cry as well. "I'm...I'm sorry! I treated you badly! I wanted to apologize! I wanted to get you something! I...I..." He stopped, the sobs from his crying cutting him off.

"You dumbass..." That was the last thing Aldrick heard before passing out in the man's arms, happy that he was with Cid once more.

To be continued...

* * *

Byne:...I love fluff...okay, back to me! Now, I'm surprised I've done this much, seeing as how I never finish anything unless it's a game...but, anyways, I plan on finishing this...sometime...but the plan, so far, seems to be about 12 chapters...So, for faithful readers, that's my plan for this story, and then I'm going to try and write another one...maybe a...Eh, depends on what I feel like. Now, remember, R&R, please!


	8. Memories and an apology gift

Hello! It's me again, and I have chapter 8! Now, I should warn you...this chapter has some...well, frankly, emo moments... But, it couldn't be helped. So, on with the story!

Wait! I forgot...Disclaimer: I don't own KH...I do have a pen, though...

* * *

After passing out, Aldrick would go in and out of consciousness, occasionally realizeing things happening around him.

The cool night air brushing against his burnt leg as someone carried him.

The faint smell of flowers as all the pain left his body.

A bag being moved nearby.

Voices speaking in inaudible whispers.

The scratching of a pencil against paper as it wrote out a message.

After what seemed like hours, the teen's body gave up, and the sweet embrace of sleep grabbed hold of him.

* * *

Aldrick rolled over, slowly opening his eyes, his gaze falling on a bookcase. The bookcase had an ashtray, with about thirty cigarette butts stuffed into it, on top. After a moment of staring, the events from the previous night flooded back into the teen's mind, and he managed to realize where he was; Cid's home. 

He lifted the covers off himself, revealing that he was wearing a pair of red pajama pants. Thinking for a moment, a faint blush crept onto his face as he realized that Cid must have been the one to undress and redress him. The teen looked over the side of the bed to thank the man, only to realize that he wasn't there. The blanket had been neatly folded, and now lay on top of the mattress.

Shaking his head with a smile, Aldrick swung his legs over the side of the bed, and stood. It dawned on him that his leg had been burned by a fireball, and yet he was standing with no pain. Lifting the leg of the pants, he saw that there wasn't even a single trace of the charred flesh, which he knew was there at one point. Running into the bathroom, he looked at the mirror. His reflection had no cuts or bruises, and the only problem the teen seemed to be having was hair control.

Noticing the usual clean towel by the sink, the teen stripped and took a shower. He squirted the shampoo into his palm, noting, again, the faint smell of coconut the liquid had as he rubbed it into his hair.

After he finished cleaning himself, he grabbed the towel and dried himself, wiping the mirror with his hand to be able to see himself. Not wanting to really deal with his hair, he slicked it back with his hand, deciding that the resulting pouf wouldn't matter today.

In the closet, he grabbed some blue boxers, black cargo pants, and a dark green shirt. He also grabbed the black leather belt, which might as well have been his, and a pair of socks.

Getting dressed, he looked over at the bookcase, and noticed his journal amongst the other books. After putting on his boxers and pants, he grabbed it from the shelf, and flipped through it, stopping at a random page.

_Some of my so-called 'friends' have started to talk about me behind my back. I trusted them for so long. We had gotten along so well. Then...what happened? I don't think I'll ever know..._

Remembering that time, they had started to call him a fag to other people. He hated that word. He denied it, though. It was almost a taboo for a boy to like another boy back then. Even though he didn't care if he was gay or straight, it was easier to deny. Another page was stopped on.

_I was called a fag today. I was going to do something, but decided it wasn't worth my time. It never seems to end. Why? What did I ever do to them?_

This one was vague to the teen, but he wasn't surprised that it had happened. Flipping through more, he found that a page had been torn out. He read the page that was written before it, and frowned.

_I got suspended from school for fighting today. Although, I should probably say I got suspended for getting the shit knocked out of me. I threw one punch, only to defend myself, and that constituted as me fighting. Me against three...and I got the same punishment as them._

_Mom scolded me for getting suspended, and I just stood there, staring through my swollen eyes. "Grades are important." she said, as if I didn't know. Sometimes I don't think she cares how I feel._

_Every so often, I wonder if there will ever be an end to the torture I face everyday. If there will be some sort of escape I can take to get away from everything..._

The words stopped there, and Aldrick remembered that he had fallen asleep while writing. There were small, circular water stains on the paper; tears he had cried from the pain he felt.

He sighed. /...I did get my escape. I got taken here...and I'm happy. Leon, Yuffie, Aerith...and Cid...they're here for me. I know they won't abandon me...\

Aldrick tried to change his thoughts, and tried to remember what was on the missing page. He never wrote down the dates for the entries, and now wished he had. Giving up after a couple of minutes, he finished getting dressed, and headed into the kitchen, setting the journal back on the bookshelf on his way out of the room.

He was about to grab something out of the refrigerator when he noticed a glint of metal on the counter, next to the sink. Aldrick picked up the metal, a key, and saw a note that had sat beneath it.

_Meet at the cave. Don't eat, lunch was made--_

Aldrick stopped reading, and looked towards the fridge with a look of panic on his face. /...Maybe I should eat. What if Aerith cooked...\ He shuddered at the thought, then sighed as he continued reading.

-_-lunch was made by Leon, so don't worry. This is the key to the shop, lock up when you leave. -Cid_

Aldrick pocketed the key, and headed upstairs and into the shop. After making sure there wasn't a certain ninja there, he stepped outside into the warm sunlight.

* * *

Locking the door behind himself, the teen started to make his way into the second district, stopping when he passed by the synthesis shop. He hadn't seen the completed item, and wondered if it was ready yet. He opened the unlocked door and stepped in, only to be greeted by a "Glad you came, Kupo! That means Cid made it in time." 

"...You sent Cid?" Aldrick looked towards the moogle, his face filled with question.

"Yep. I figured you might have needed help, so I went to get Leon. He said to have Cid do it, and...well, the rest is obvious, kupo."

/Leon had Cid sent? Does he...\ The teen blushed, then quickly asked "Is the item ready?"

The moogle flew over to the large, complicated looking oven, and grabbed something from the top, and passed it off to the teen. It was covered in cloth, and when Aldrick uncovered it, he was amazed at what he saw.

It was what looked like a spearhead, only made of what seemed like diamond. "Hard to make it look like that, kupo, but after what you went through, we figured you deserved some extra effort."

Aldrick, beyond excited, pulled the moogle into a hug as he repeatedly said "Thank you!" After his little moment, he ran out the door, heading towards the cavern.

"Kupo...do you think he knows what today is?" One of the two other moogles spoke up, looking towards his leader.

Kuroc only shrugged. "Probably not, kupo, but Cid figured it might be like that."

* * *

Reaching the cavern, Aldrick noticed that the stone platforms, while still floating, had stopped moving from side to side. This made it easier for the teen to cross, and did so without any slipping. Disappointed that Cid hadn't been there to see, he stepped into the shabby house, only to be greeted by a man in a blue robe. 

"Oh my, you must be Aldrick. What a stout looking lad..." The man stroked his long beard as he spoke, examining the teen.

"Uh...yes? You're Merlin, right? I'm just passing through. Please, don't mind me..." The teen couldn't stand being stared at, and just wanted to get down to the cave. He stepped onto the elevator-like stone, and stomped on it, getting no reaction. He stomped it again, still getting nothing out of the stone. /Not even a tremble...\

"Oh, let me get that!" The magician pulled a wand from his large sleeve, and waved it at the stone. The large rock shifted a little, then slowly lowered into the room below.

"He's definitely polite for his age. Maybe he'll be able to turn that coot around..." Merlin stroked his beard as he opened a book, and gazed at the pages happily.

* * *

The teen descended down the stairs, saying a loud "Cid?" Getting no answer, he wondered if anyone was even here yet. 

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he immediately saw pink streamers, and was scared as two voices yelled out "Surprise!"

To be continued...

* * *

Yay! Finished! Now, I guess I should thank andrhats once again for reviewing...so, thankies! Now, people besides andrhats (because andrhats already knows how), all you have to do is push the little square button on the bottom left of the page, and type what you think. It's not hard, I've done it before. Please...for me? 


	9. A rock and the Best Present Ever

A little quick, but ch. 9 is here. And it's my longest one yet! I have to thank inspiration, insomnia, and dirty thoughts for this chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own KH...yeah...

**Warning:**That possible lemon in the summary...it's here. Yep, and if you don't like lemon's don't read this chapter...or at least the second half. And if you don't like yaoi...why are you reading this? Honestly, I would like to know.

* * *

Aldrick stared in shock at the banner that hung from the ceiling of the cave. _Happy 18th Birthday Aldrick!! _was written in bright pink letters. /Is it really...Did I...forget?\ 

Yuffie, Aerith, and Leon all stood under the banner. Aerith was wearing a cocktail dress that was colored pink, with a pink party hat on her head and a bright smile on her face. Yuffie had actually dressed in something other than shorts. She wore jeans and a black t-shirt that read _ninja... _in white lettering. Her party hat was green. Leon...was a different story.

Clad in his usual attire of leather pants, a t-shirt, and his jacket, he also wore a black party hat. It looked as though it was forced on him, as it sat more towards the side of his head and appeared to be taped on. He looked a little pissed, and Aldrick made it a mental note to try and avoid making him any more angry.

Aldrick just sat and stared at the three, not knowing what to say. "Um...what?"

Yuffie moved forward, gripping the teen in a bear hug. "It's your birthday, duh! Cid found out when he read this." She pulled out a sheet of paper from her back pocket, and Aldrick read over it, noticing the edge, which looked as though it was torn out of a book.

_Today is June 17. Today is also my birthday. My remaining friends came over and visited with me after school, and my mom made a cake. I didn't expect any presents, and was okay with it. I wasn't being tortured at school because of my suspension, and no one I saw seemed to hate me. No one tried to hurt me. These are the moments I can cherish. They may be few and far apart, but..._

Aldrick read the journal entry, and crumpled it as he clenched his fists. "How...how dare he show this to people! Where is he?!"

Leon spoke this time. "Sora came back, and needed help with fixing the gummi ship. He didn't know when he'd get back."

Aldrick's face went from showing anger to displaying sorrow. "Oh..."

Aerith, not liking the mood the teen had, suggested "Let's have cake!" She went upstairs for a minute, then came back down with two cakes. One was covered with pink frosting, and the other with chocolate. "I made the pink one, but I don't know who made the chocolate one."

"...I did...What?" Leon had spoken, and was confused at the looks of disbelief he received from Aerith and Yuffie. Aldrick, however, didn't react at all. He was too depressed that Cid planned this, but didn't come.

"Umm...Let's skip the cake and go to presents!" Yuffie seemed to be panicking, suggesting anything to try and cheer Aldrick up.

"He'll open mine first, cause I have something to take care of." Leon said, as he tossed a box wrapped in silver wrapping paper at the apprentice. Opening it, he found a small booklet titled _101 Helpful Tips for Fighting Heartless_.

Aldrick looked up, a little annoyed. "Are you trying to imply something?"

The teen's eyebrow twitched at Leon's response of "Maybe.", then happily watched the man leave.

Aerith's present was next. In a pink bag that a large pink bow on it lay a hand knit scarf. Aldrick liked it, except for the fact that it was pink. Maybe I could dye it another color later?

Yuffie shoved a box poorly wrapped in green paper into Aldrick's arms, and he opened it, a little worried. His worry was worth it, as a sparkling rock fell out of the box. "...What...Why?"

"...It was shiny, so I got it..." Yuffie poked her fingers together innocently, and Aldrick sighed.

After about two hours of waiting, Aldrick, after gathering his presents and placing them in Aerith's gift bag, got up to leave. "Why are you leaving?" Aerith asked, her lower lip sticking out.

"...I'm tired..." was all Aldrick said, as he headed up the stairs to go into Merlin's home.

The wizard could tell something was wrong, but kept reading his book, not saying a word.

Aldrick hopped across the stones, and started to walk home, passing through the second district. As he reached the center of the plaza, Leon passed by him, a smirk plastered on his face. This got Aldrick curious, and wondered what Leon had to do.

Once he finished going through the second and first districts, the teen entered the accessory shop, catching a faint scent of cooked meat in the air. "Cid didn't...he didn't try again...did he?" Shuddering at the thought of more inedible food, he opened the wall, and walked down the stairs, the scent getting stronger and more tantalizing.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Aldrick saw the card table out again. There was a steak sitting on one side of the table, and Aldrick, kicking off his shoes and setting his bag beside them, sat down to eat. He was hungry, and the meat smelled excellent.

Grabbing the fork and knife, the teen tried to cut a piece off, and was amazed when both of the utensils easily pierced the meat. Taking a bite, he shuddered. However, instead of shuddering from an awful taste, he had shook because it was so scrumptious. He quickly ate the steak, and put the dishes in the sink.

Getting ready to wash his plate, he could hear faint music from the living room. It was a slow, peaceful tune, and Aldrick followed it, finding a large stereo and a happy looking Cid, who was dressed in a tuxedo.

"What is this?" Aldrick stared in awe at the man. Cid was extremely happy, and he had also apparently shaved, his stubble now almost non-existent.

"Simple, part two of your birthday present." The man stepped forward, and quickly grabbed the teen, wrapping on arm around the teen's waist and using his other hand to grab one of the teen's hands.

With Cid leading, the two danced around the living room, and Aldrick blushed. "I don't get it. Part two? Of how many parts? What about part one? And why dancing?"

"In that order, yes, three, that was the steak, and I figured you wanted to dance." The man smirked as he made his apprentice perform a small spin, then made them get back into their original dance position as they continued to dance.

"...But, you didn't make the steak..." Aldrick stared at his feet, trying to hide smirk from the older male.

"Oh really? What proof do you have." Cid was trying to act innocent, but the teen looked up with a sad face, his eyes moist.

"...You read my journal and now basically lied to me. You think Leon wouldn't tell me that he made it?" After making a small sniffle, he stared back at the floor.

"Damn that Leon! He wasn't supposed to say anything. Shit...Look...I'm sorry..." Cid lost his smirk, only to be surprised by a grinning Aldrick.

"Thanks. You just confirmed it. I didn't hear anything thing from Leon. I just knew you hadn't made it."

"...Wha? You little ass! I actually felt sorry!" The mechanic had stopped moving them around, but the tune still played on. "...How did you know?"

"Simple. I could eat it." He just smiled as the man frowned, and savored the feeling.

"You know, I'm gonna haf' ta get ya back for that." They started to move once more, and the tune seemed to pick up a little in it's beat. It seemed to Aldrick like it was starting to finish.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Aldrick was curious, and soon got his answer.

"This." The mechanic smirked, and dipped his apprentice, bringing his face close to the other's. Aldrick could smell his warm breath as it played across his lips. /Mint...he brushed his teeth...\ The teen could hear the music stop, but Cid stayed like that, their faces close, yet just far enough away so as not to touch. /...Dammit! He needs to stop or I'll...I'll...\

After a few more seconds, the teen couldn't resist any longer. His lips wanted Cid's. He lifted his face, and made contact. Warmth spread through Aldrick's body, and he pulled away after a second, bright crimson. /What is he gonna do?...\

Cid allowed the teen to stand up straight. "I'm...I'm sorry...I..." The stuttering apprentice started to head to the bedroom, but was stopped as the mechanic grabbed his arm and pulled the younger male into his embrace.

"...Took you long enough." The man lowered his lips onto the teen's, nibbling on the bottom lip as though asking for permission to answer. Wrapping his arms around the man's neck, Aldrick's lips parted, and he felt Cid's tongue rush in, exploring with great interest.

The teen could feel the mechanic's hands go beneath his shirt, and shuddered as the rough fingers graced his back with their touch. The teen's hands were roaming as well, unbuttoning the jacket and dress shirt, running over the man's bare, muscular torso with his fingertips. Their tongues danced in the teen's mouth, until Cid's stopped, and he pulled his face away.

Letting out a soft groan of disapproval, the teen frowned at the man, getting a smile in return. "Part three is wrapped in the bedroom." Aldrick was lead into the room, and Cid motioned to the small blue bag that sat on the center of the bed. "Open it." the man urged.

The now eighteen year old walked over, and peered into the bag. After seeing the contents, his head snapped towards the man, who only grinned as he shut the door.

Reaching in, the apprentice pulled out a small gray tube that had the word _Lubricant_ labeled on it in neat, dark blue text. Was the teen ready for this? His mind didn't know what to do, but his body quickly took over, making Aldrick take of his shirt as Cid approached.

The mechanic took off the top of his tux, now just as undressed as the teen. His eyes widened as the teen started to take off his belt slowly, trying to be seductive. "Ki...Aldrick...what are you doing?"

"What? I'm trying to set the mood...It's not like I've done this before..." The teen looked heartbroken, causing Cid to sit on the bed, dragging the teen onto his lap, their chests facing each other.

"Why are you..." A soft kiss on the teen's forehead. "Trying so hard?" Another on the lips. "Especially since I've..." One more, this one placed on the chest. "Been seduced already?" Leaning the teen back a little, a final kiss was placed on the abdomen.

With each kiss, Aldrick's heart pumped harder, and his penis swelled. "Unnn..." A deep, guttural moan escaped his throat instead of the words he wanted to say. He wanted Cid so badly, and couldn't control himself as he started rotating his hips on the man's groin.

"Whoa, kid. Relax." Cid tried to calm the teen down, but realized that it was too late. He had basically released a demon.

"No!" The fierceness in his voice worried the man, but after a moment of thought, Cid just grinned.

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to get on with it." Setting the teen on his back, he pulled off the teen's pants and boxers, the socks as well, and started to stroke the teen's pulsating member while grabbing the bottle of lube. Stopping the stroking for a moment to get the lube on his fingers, Cid received a little moan of anger from Aldrick.

"Hey, I figured I'd loosen ya up a little. Calm down." Aldrick started to complain, but moaned instead, as the mechanic snaked a large, lubricated finger into the teen's anal cavity. Cid repeatedly slid his finger in and out of the hole, causing the apprentice to buck up a little, his back starting to arch.

Taking his finger out completely, he then returned with two fingers, causing a horny teenager to arch his back even more. Scissoring his fingers, the man tried to widen the hole, getting strange noises from the teen's throat. Smirking, he thrust his fingers in as deep as he could, successfully hitting the spot he wanted.

Aldrick's eyes widened as white spots appeared before them, and the sensation that went through his body made him shudder. "Ah...what...the hell?!" His mouth spouted out words as the man slid his fingers out and started to take off his own pants.

"Good, glad ya liked it." was all he said as the mechanic tossed his pants aside, revealing his large, quivering organ. Grabbing the lubricant once more, he rubbed it on his member, making sure every inch was covered so as make the journey as easy and painless as possible.

Grabbing the teen's legs by the back of his knees, Cid maneuvered Aldrick's hips into just the right spot, and started a slow thrust. Once the head was in, the apprentice seemed to tense, and the mechanic slowly stroked the teen's penis. Once Aldrick relaxed, the man started to push himself deeper into the teen, causing a small yelp of pain.

Aldrick's eyes watered, but he urged the man to continue. Slowly, the man continued to penetrate into the teen, and made a quiet moan as he fully sheathed himself inside his apprentice. Aldrick himself moaned, wanting more movement from the man.

Cid happily obliged, and started to slowly move in and out, going faster and faster as more time passed. He grunted with each thrust, and made sure that he repeatedly hit the teen's prostate with each and every one.

The sensations were starting to get to be too much, and the teen reached out, wanting the man's entire body against his own. Cid, once again, obliged, and repositioned himself so he could continue thrusting as his chest made contact with the teen's. Aldrick wrapped his arms around the man's torso, his heel's hitched into the man's hips.

Aldrick's body started to tense, and Cid could tell that the teen was almost ready. He was too, but wanted to make sure the teen would be satisfied before he was. He slowed his pelvic thrusts, and motioned his body so that his abdomen rubbed against the teen's throbbing rod.

Arching his back, his body seemingly trying to merge into Cid, he reached the breaking point. As he had his orgasm, Aldrick's toes curled, and he moaned out a loud "Cid!" as his semen flowed out and onto the two males' abdomens. The sudden tightening of muscles caused a reaction in the man. About three seconds after the teen, the man released his own seed into Aldrick, the warm fluid flowing out, around the large member, and onto the sheets.

The teen collapsed to the bed, and the mechanic smirked as he went down, licking the Aldrick's fluid off the teen's abdomen. As Aldrick shuddered with delight from each tongue swipe, Cid came back up, lying beside the teen as he licked his lips clean.

After another passionate kiss, Cid asked a single question. "So, how was my present? The best one ever?"

Aldrick shrugged with a smirk. "I don't know, that scarf was pretty nice..." This resulted in another kiss, and the teen giggled. "But it's definitely up there."

The apprentice got up, and headed to the bathroom, a little bow-legged, to clean himself off. Finding the usual towel by the sink, he turned on the warm water and stepped in. He was in his own little world, and didn't even notice that Cid had followed him into the shower until two large arms wrapped around his waist.

Quietly, the teen smiled, asking "What are you doing?"

"I'm protectin' ya." Cid whispered into Aldrick's ear.

"From what?" the apprentice asked, curious of the answer.

"Everything that would harm ya."

Aldrick thought for a second, then nodded. "Good. I wouldn't have it any other way." He turned and kissed the man he loved, sure that Cid loved him as well.

To be continued...

* * *

Woohoo! I think this got really well written...or, at least, that's what one of my friends said...but, anywho, I like it. Thanks to andrhats for reviewing once again. And, what is this? Carriles has reviewed?! A new person?! Yay! Thankies for the reviews!

And for those others reading who haven't reviewed, you should. Gives ya a nice, warm, tingly sensation all over.


	10. A Witch and a Goodbye

Ch. 10! Huzzah! Once again, thanks go out to andrhats and Carriles for reviewing. Arigato! -bows-

Now, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own KH...just the ideas my disturbed mind creates...

"Speaking"

/Thinking\

_Writing_

* * *

A small pain in his backside made Aldrick stir. He tried to see if he could get the pain to go away by shifting, only to realize something was pressed against him. It didn't seem to want to let the teen go, so Aldrick opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder, letting a smile cross his lips.

A sleeping Cid was holding on to the apprentice, and Aldrick kissed the older man's arm gently, whispering "Good morning..." He received a grumble of "It's too goddamn early, go back to sleep..."

Smiling all the more, Aldrick managed to worm his way out of Cid's arms, and started to walk to the closet, only to stop at a sharp, sudden pain. "Ow!" the teen cried, and he gingerly rubbed his ass, hearing a small snicker from the man.

"That should go away after a while." came, muffled, from the pillow the man had now buried his face in as an attempt to block out the light from above.

Sticking his tongue out, Aldrick slowly continued his walk to the closet, wincing at the pain from each step.

Finally reaching the innards of the closet, the teen grabbed the closest clothes to him and started to get dressed. Blood red boxers, white socks, black cargo pants, and a t-shirt that matched the boxers in color. Grabbing his belt, the teen came out of the closet, his gaze falling on a now sitting up, groggy Cid.

"We should try working. Considering we haven't really done much except for a chain, I think some work is in order." Smiling, he leaned against the doorway as he spoke, watching as Cid uncovered his naked body and headed off to the bathroom.

"Sure..." Obviously, the man didn't like mornings. This made Aldrick think, and was amazed that he had been alert ever since he had woken up. I guess miracles are bound to happen...

After a quick flush, Cid himself walked into the closet, trying to find something to wear. Aldrick took this time to pick up the clothes the two had flung around the bedroom during their 'escapades'. Feeling something heavy in the pocket of the pants he wore, he reached in and pulled out the diamond-like spearhead, and tucked it back into the pocket. /That...can wait till later. No need to trudge up bad memories now...\

Turning and throwing the clothes past Cid and into the back corner of the closet, he let out a quick "I'm going up now. See ya there!" and headed towards the shop while putting his belt on. Each step brought pain, but the pains had started to lessen and weaken. At the top of the stairs, he opened the wall, only to come face to face with a pair of curious brown eyes.

"Ha! So he does live! You owe me 50 Munny Squall." Yuffie called over her shoulder, only to get a shrug from Leon.

"First, I'm Leon. Second, I never agreed to the bet, so I owe you nothing." Leon turned his head to the door, almost as if he wanted to leave but was rooted to the spot he was standing on.

"Damn. He's right. Oh well, what was Cid's present? He didn't give us any details. Rather, he told Leon, but Leon won't talk." Leon only shrugged at Yuffie's comment, letting out his usual "Whatever..."

Aldrick thought for a moment, then flushed. Did he dare tell them of the events of last night? "Um, well...I had steak...that was actually good...and we...danced..."

Aerith clapped as Yuffie's eyes went wide. "I'm glad he put those dancing lessons I gave him to good use." The happy flower girl now spoke; her eyes bright and filled with pride.

"Cid can't dance. No matter how many dance lessons he has, he just can't. And why would you say something like...Oh! I get it. You were just joking, right?" The ninja nodded, not even waiting for a response. "Of course you were."

At that moment, Cid came out from the wall, dressed in a white t-shirt and blue baggy pants. "I thought I heard a squirrel, but it's just the supposed 'Great Ninja'. Aldrick, what are they doing here?"

There was a hush over the room that Aldrick didn't immediately notice. "They were already here..." Looking at the surprised expressions of the three visitors, he became confused, and let out a quiet "What?"

Yuffie was the first to speak. "He called you by name! With no 'kid' or 'ki' before it! He didn't stop doing that to us for a few years! What did you d...Ooohhh. I get it now." Nodding with a mischievous grin, Yuffie looked towards the other two. Leon only put his face in his hand, and Aerith let out a small squeal as he covered her mouth from excitement and shock.

After a second of silence, Aldrick finally registered what she was implying. "Ah! I...I...Umm..." He didn't want to really admit it, but couldn't deny it, either. He looked to Cid, who only smiled and shrugged, giving the group a small nod as he wrapped his arms around Aldrick's waist in a small hug. A small smile crossed onto the teen's face, and he leaned into the hug.

"...Wow...I did **not** see that coming...well, I did...but..." Yuffie babbled like that for about five minutes, then suddenly stopped. She started to say something else, but nothing came out, and she left, followed by a giddy Aerith and an indifferent Leon.

Aldrick looked at Cid, a confused look on his face. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

Shrugging, Cid smiled. "Don't know. Either way, we gotta get to work."

Nodding, the teen was let go, and started to prepare the fireplace as the mechanic grabbed the materials they would need to work.

* * *

The next six days went by with relative ease. Each day consisted of waking up, eating, working, eating, visiting the rest of the group, eating, hot and steamy sex, shower, and back to sleep. At the end of each day, Aldrick fell asleep, reminding himself how happy he was now that he was with Cid.

On the seventh day, the routine was the same. They woke up, ate breakfast, worked a little on engraving, ate a quick lunch, visited with Yuffie, Aerith, and Leon, at dinner, and finished with a nice romp between the sheets. After their shower, Cid crawled into bed, but Aldrick stayed up, saying "I'm going to go out. Get some air. Okay?"

Concerned, Cid said "Okay, but don't go too far.", then rolled over to try and sleep as Aldrick put on a pair of black pajama pants and headed up into the shop and outside.

The air was cool, and stars lit up the sky as a crescent moon shone down. Sitting on the stairs in front of the accessory shop, the teen stared up into the night sky. "So beautiful...I never want to leave." he whispered.

"**Ah, but wouldn't that be selfish?" **A sudden voice startled Aldrick, and he leapt to his feet and turned, his jaw dropping at the speaker. Clad in a black cape with purple lining, and horns extending from the hood on her head, Maleficent stepped into view, a cross between a smile and a sneer on her green face.

"You! What are you doing here?!" Aldrick, with no actual combat training, took up a defensive pose, his fists ready to strike if necessary.

"**Simple. Your presence here hinders me. Besides, what do you think your mother has been doing all this time?"** With those words, an emerald flame was emitted from the crystal ball on Maleficent's staff. It floated out a little ways, then formed a circle that was almost like a window. The curious teenager peered into the circle, and let out a gasp.

Aldrick's mother lay on her bed, asleep. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she still seemed to cry as she slept. A picture of a young Aldrick lay in her hand, slightly crumpled from being held too hard. This sight made the teen feel horrible. /She's been thinking of me...and I completely forgot about her. What kind of son am I?\

"**Oh, and let us not forget about your friends."** The flame closed in on itself, then expanded once more, revealing one of the teens friends. He was on the phone, and Aldrick could barely make out his voice, which sounded like a whisper.

"I know...Of course I wonder about him. It's not like I forgot about Aldrick once he left...No, he isn't like that. He's too stubborn to roll over and die...Even if...No, that's...alright, goodbye..."

Aldrick could only fall to his knees. /They...they thought about me. They do care...and I...I...\

"**Good. Now that you aren't thinking like a spoiled child, we must leave." **The dark fairy urged the teen to stand after dissipating the conjured window, but he stayed seated.

"No...not with you...I won't leave with an evil bitch like you..." It was a whisper, but point was made clear. Maleficent, now fuming from irritation, spoke much harsher now.

"**You will go home, or I will burn this town to the ground!"** Eyeing the accessory shop, an evil glint appeared in her eye. "Maybe I should start with this shabby shop?"

Aldrick's eyes widened when another green flame emerged from the crystal ball and flew towards the shop. "Stop! I'll go!"

The small flame turned into a tiny ember, then disappeared into nothingness. "**I'm glad you see things from my point of view now. Let us be off."** With a swish of her cape, she turned towards the main gate and started to walk, only to stop as Aldrick said "Give me five minutes to grab my things."

"**If you must. But only five. If you take too long, you know what I'll be pressed to do." **She didn't turn around, but remained stationary as Aldrick ran into the shop, downstairs and into the bedroom.

Cid had gone to bed already, his body turned towards the wall. As quietly as he could, the teen entered the closet and searched for his clothes that he had come to Traverse Town in. Adorned in his jeans and shirt, the teen started to head out when he remembered the spearhead.

After digging through the pile of dirty clothes, the teen found the pants that held the spearhead, and pulled it out. It was a beautiful piece of work, and Aldrick was saddened by it. An idea hit him, and he grabbed his journal, along with a pencil that was sitting on one of the shelves. He opened it to one of the last two blank pages, and started to write.

_Cid, I'm sorry. I'm going home. It's hard for me to do it, but if I don't...Maleficent will destroy everything. Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, the town...even you. I can't have that happen. _

_This spearhead was what I was having the moogles make for you. I wanted to give it to you as an apology present for treating you horribly...only now, it's because I'm leaving. Pathetic, I know. _

_I'm taking my journal, only because it holds some of my worst memories and thoughts. I don't want to leave that kinda of thing with you. _

_Once again, I'm sorry. If you hate me for this, I understand... -Love, Aldrick._

After tearing the page out, Aldrick placed the note on the nightstand, followed by the spearhead, which made a small thud as it connected with the wood.

"You comin' to bed?" Cid was apparently awake, but didn't roll over.

"Soon." came quietly from Aldrick.

"'Kay, don't stay up too much longer."

Not responding anymore, Aldrick hurried out of the room. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, the teen turned and faced the direction of the bedroom. A single tear rolled down his cheek. "I'm sorry...Goodbye." And with that, he ran up the stairs, out of the shop, and into the night.

Maleficent had not moved from her spot, and remained motionless as Aldrick approached. "**Now, let us go."** There was a hint of pleasure in her voice as she spoke. Waving her hand, a portal of darkness opened before her, and she started to walk through, a sinister laugh escaping her mouth.

Three dark doorways opened around Aldrick; One in front of him and two behind. A soldier heartless appeared from each portal, and the one in front of the teen sent a swift kick to the teen's gut, leaving Aldrick winded, gasping for breath as he fell to his knees and his journal fell to the ground.

The other two soldiers grabbed the teen's arms and legs, and carried him through the original portal. Once they all passed through, the all four of the portals closed, and the streets of Traverse Town were silent once more, the green journal laying open in the middle of the small plaza.

To be continued...

* * *

Yay! That chapter's done! Actually, I worked hard last night, so ch. 11 and 12 are written out, but I need to go over them pretty badly. 11 might actually get posted today, maybe 12, but not likely.

Now, follow andrhats and Carriles examples and review. Come on, I know you want to.


	11. Loss of Hope and a Rescue

Ch. 11 is finished! Yay for free time and boredom. Again, I have to thank andrhats and Carriles for reviewing.

**Warning:** This chapter contains some...torture-esque(...sure, let's go with that) scenes. Be warned.

"Speaking"

/Thinking\

_Writing_

**"Maleficent speaking"**(forgot this for the last chapter...oops?)

* * *

The dark pathway wasn't long, but the swirling of the black and purple made Aldrick dizzy, and he shut his eyes, trying not to be sick. Feeling cold air against his face, he opened his eyes, only to find his gaze falling on a stone ceiling.

/...I need to get away...No matter the cost!\ The teen started to struggle against his two captors, trying to make them release their grasp on his wrists and ankles. However, this only made Maleficent, who remained in the lead, to become agitated. "**Silence him, fools!"**

With a swift kick, the heartless that didn't hold the teen knocked Aldrick out with a blow to the head. Carrying his limp body, they continued their trek into the depths of the building.

* * *

Aldrick awoke to find himself on his knees in the center of what appeared to be a jail cell. His wrists were chained and suspended above his head, the chain itself attached to the ceiling, meaning that lying down was not an option. He could see a flame blazing in a wall lantern outside the bars, but felt not a trace of heat from it. The room was cold, and water could be heard dripping into an unseen puddle.

With a squeaky creak, the door to the cell opened, and Maleficent stepped in. "Where am I?! What the hell do you want with me?!" Aldrick screamed, his head hurting from both thinking and the previous kick.

"**Hollow Bastion, my base. That's where you are. And what I want..."** She waved her wand, and a green flame shot out of it towards the teen. It made contact on his torso, and Aldrick cried out in pain. "**...Is to make those foolish light dwellers lose hope."**

"What...do you...mean?" Gasping for air, the teen slowly stood, using the chain as a brace.

"**The leaders of Traverse Town, of course. The one you had feelings for...Cid, I believe? He's one of the main threats to me. However, if his 'light' fades, then he's nothing to me. An insignificant flea."**

"His...'light'?" This confused the teen, and he showed it well.

"**What makes him happy, what brightens his day."** The anger and sarcasm in her voice dripped like venom, showing just how much the dark fairy hated saying those words. "**That means you."**

"What makes you think Cid will give up on me?" Aldrick was buying time. For what, he didn't know, but he was determined to try anything.

Stepping closer, she smirked. "**You left without a word. Without letting anybody know anything. What else would he think?"**

Aldrick then did something he wished he hadn't, no matter how natural it seemed. He snorted, and spit the biggest loogie he could make into the face of the witch. Her smirk turned into a frown, and she wiped her face off, flicking it back at the teen. "**You insolent little brat!" **Maleficent swung her cane, setting it ablaze in emerald flames, and hit the teen's chest, full force. His shirt burned away, and a large, circular burn was now settled in the center of his chest as he fell back to his knees.

With a little chuckle, the witch recomposed herself. "**That'll teach you to never try that again. Next time, I might not be so merciful." **She then stepped out of the cell, shut the door, and stepped out of sight, cackling maniacally as she left the teen to deal with the pain and the smell of burning flesh.

* * *

With the lack of a window, Aldrick's sense of time was completely disrupted. All he knew was that heartless would come every so often, accompanied by Maleficent herself, to beat him. Whip lashes, burns, cuts, scratches. Every time they came, they brought some form of pain or punishment with them.

Aldrick shivered in the cold, fearfully awaiting the next time his captors would come and listening for footsteps. His stomach was empty, and his shirt in tatters from the beatings. He wanted nothing more then to be with Cid, at home, at school, anywhere but here.

An infinite number of hours seemed to pass by, filled with restless sleeps and numerous punishments. During a whip lashing, Aldrick got the nerve to ask only two questions. "Why are you doing this? What's the point?"

Laughing at the teen as she motioned for the knight-like heartless to pause the lashings, the dark fairy said "**Your fear, your anger, your despair, all of your negative emotions feed my power. Why wouldn't I want more power?"**

Looking up, Aldrick now had a smug tone in his voice. "Too much power is a bad thing. In fact, I have a feeling that your lust for power will be your downfall."

"**Hm. We shall see about that." **As Maleficent raised her hand to make the whip continue tearing at the teen's back, she was interrupted by a loud, ferocious roar that echoed from the distance. "**Looks like other prey has come. Sounds like he wants his precious princess back. You're lucky. But, I shall be back as soon as I take care of this pest."**

With that, the witch had left with her heartless following her, leaving Aldrick alone once more. He could only hear the water dripping into the same puddle, plus an occasional roar from other parts of the castle.

For the longest time, no one and nothing came. Aldrick was alone, cold, hungry, and thirsty, but nothing would hear him. /...Is it really going to end this way? After I was actually happy?\

More time passed, and Aldrick stopped caring. Stopped caring about whether or not someone would come, whether he would get hurt anymore, or even if he died. It just didn't matter. He just sat on the floor, his legs beneath him, his arms raised by the chains. He closed his eyes, too tired from the lack of food, and he tried to rest.

* * *

Never actually falling asleep, Aldrick sat with his eyes closed as time seemed to slowly pass him by. The water drops were like the ticking of an eternal clock, but it didn't bother him. His wounds were itchy from the healing process, but again, he didn't really care. He even stopped worrying about his hunger.

Finally, after so long, he heard footsteps. The teen ignored them, figuring that it was someone coming to hurt him some more. He could hear the footsteps become quicker, as if the person was running. The bars could be heard being grabbed, and the door being pushed open with it's usual squeak.

He could hear a whisper, but couldn't make it out. He raised his head a little, but still didn't open his eyes. He flinched away as a hand made contact with his face, but stopped as soon as he felt it's warm and gentle touch. The hand pulled away, then Aldrick fell completely to the ground, his body limp, as he heard metal breaking. He opened his eyes a little, and found himself staring into bright blue eyes...familiar eyes.

Cid, his spear now re-strapped to his back, bent down and gingerly scooped Aldrick off the ground, trying to be careful around the wounds. Once in the man's arms, the teen could feel the warmth of Cid's body, and snuggled against it, quietly saying "I know you're not a teddy bear...but...please, let me do this..."

The mechanic let out a soft chuckle, and started to walk away. After a small walk, the two emerged from the castle gates, and into the warm, orange light of the rising sun. Sitting on the ground and against the wall, the two faced the morning light, Aldrick sitting in Cid's lap.

"...How long was I gone?" Aldrick asked quietly.

"Three days." Cid responded.

"...I'm sorry!" Aldrick cried out, then turned and hugged Cid, burrowing his face in the man's neck as he cried. He cried for ten minutes straight, letting out everything that he had held inside him. All the worry, the pain, the sadness, everything. Cid quietly held him, stoking the teen's hair and letting him get the tears out of his system.

Once the tears had stopped, Aldrick quietly went to sleep. Cid continued to hold him as the sun rose higher into the sky, pulling out a long toothpick to quietly chew on.

* * *

Yuffie and Aerith started to run over to Cid to help Aldrick, but were stopped by a muscular arm.

"Wait. Let Cid be with him a while longer." Leon spoke without emotion, but the hidden kindness clearly showed.

"But..." the ninja had started, but stopped herself, realizing that the gunblader was right.

"Let them be together. At least until..." Leon cut himself off, and the two girls silently nodded.

To be continued...

* * *

Oh, I wonder what Leon was going to say? I know, but you guys(and gals) have to wait. Review, please!


	12. Happiness and a Conclusion

Ch. 12...the final one...I'm proud of this story. I really am. Thanks go out to Carriles and andrhats for reviewing once more. Now, let's get on with it.

Disclaimer:Still don't own KH...but I'm plotting.

"Speaking"

/Thinking\

_Writing_

* * *

Aldrick rolled over, his eyes slowly opening. He could see a sky, and some birds that seemed to be robins. The sound of a waterfall could be heard. He opened his eyes all the way and sat up, an "Ow..." being said from the pain in his empty stomach. He then realized that he had been changed, and was now wearing only a pair of black boxers.

"Good. You're awake. I was getting worried there for a minute. You'd been sleeping for the past two days." Cid spoke from a chair near a fireplace, a small table nearby with a mostly filled ashtray sitting on it.

Aldrick looked out the window he had woken up to, a hand on his gut to try and stop the hunger pains. "...Where am I?" he asked, looking back to the mechanic.

"Hollow Bastion. One of the castle's rooms. Our room, to be more precise." He grinned a little as Aldrick blushed at the mentioning of 'our room'. "Yep! We're tryin' to clear out the heartless, and it's taking a while, but it's getting done. The others have been working really hard. Even that brat Yuffie hasn't been annoying me or you."

Aldrick tried to get out of the bed, but Cid immediately got up and kept the teen down. "You're not getting up. You're wounds may have been healed, but you're still weak. Leon should get here with some food soon."

Almost as if on cue, Leon knocked on the door and walked in, a tray with toast and eggs on it, along with a glass of orange juice, in his hands. "Well, speak of the devil." Cid said as he scratched his stubble.

"Yuffie needs your help. Something about a busted pipe or something in the kitchen." Leon spoke like he didn't really care, and after setting the tray on Aldrick's lap, he grabbed a chair and placed it next to the bed. "I'll watch Aldrick." was all he said as he sat down.

Cid, grabbing some toast, started to head for the door. "Stay in bed. If you don't, I'm going to have to sit on you." he called over his shoulder. He grabbed a spear from by the door, and Aldrick noticed an unusual sparkle from the spearhead, and the teen smiled when he realized that it was the one Aldrick had gotten for Cid.

Once Cid had left, Leon turned his head towards the teen, who had begun to eat. "We need to talk."

Aldrick looked up from his plate, confused. "Talk?"

"Yes, talk. It's about you going home." At this, Aldrick stopped eating, looking down at his half eaten plate of eggs as he set the fork down. "Since you've been sleeping, I've been trying to get the portal for the keyhole of this world to change, and temporarily get a way for you to get home. In the past two days, All three of us, me, Yuffie, and Aerith, have been working hard, and finally got it. You can go home."

Aldrick continued to eat, but stayed quiet. Home...but, this is more my home then back there...but that would be selfish, like Maleficent said...they do care for me in both places...but... He was getting tired of all the 'buts', and slightly shook his head.

"You don't want to go home?" Leon sounded only the tiniest bit curious, but still managed to stay as unemotional as ever.

Aldrick shook his head, but said "I can't be so selfish. I want to stay, but my mother, and my friends, are so worried about me..."

"Then get dressed. We'll open the portal soon." With nothing else left to say, Leon stood up. He headed for the door, and Aldrick crawled out of the bed /So soon?...\ crossed his mind as he headed for the closet.

Grabbing his belt, a pair of light blue boxers, a pair of baggy green pants, and a white t-shirt, he dressed himself. He also grabbed some socks, and put those on as well, and left the closet, walking up to Leon. On his way, he noticed something green on the fireplace, and looked closer, realizing it was his journal. Picking that up, he decided once again to take it with him, and he returned to heading back towards the gunblader.

Putting on his shoes that had been placed by the door, he simply said "I'm ready..." and he was led out of the room. They passed through many rooms and corridors, and after about five minutes of walking, they arrived in the Grand hall, where Yuffie and Aerith were waiting. Sad looks adorned their faces, and Yuffie could be heard sniffling.

"Do you really have to go?" Aerith sounded desperate, but Aldrick nodded, his eyes on the floor.

"You...You..." Yuffie couldn't say anything, so Aerith took her out of the room, and Aldrick was left with only Leon.

Leon started to work the controls, and Aldrick waited, staring at the portal. Soon, Leon stopped pushing buttons, and Aldrick could see a change in the gate. A room appeared, and the teen could immediately recognize it as his own. It was cleaner than he remembered, but it was his all the same.

He stood there, staring into his room. He didn't move. "It won't be open long. The machine is about to break." Leon was staring at the controls, making sure everything was running smoothly.

As Aldrick started to walk up the stairs to enter his room, he could hear the door to the Hall open, along with sound of heavy footsteps like someone was running. He turned to his right, and his gaze was placed upon an out of breath Cid.

"Why...are you...leaving?" He was trying to catch his breath, and kept coming closer. Aldrick only turned his head away, not even looking at Cid as the mechanic stepped in front of his apprentice.

"...I need to go home..."

"But isn't...this your...home?"

"...Stop..." Aldrick didn't look up, but he was obviously getting frustrated.

"Aren't we good...enough for you?"

"...Stop it..."

"Do you hate us that much?" Cid had now caught his breath, and stared right at Aldrick.

"No...Stop...please..."

"If you don't hate us, then stay!"

"I can't!" He looked up at Cid, his frustration clearly showing.

The smack echoed against the walls of the Grand Hall, and Aldrick's head snapped back to the side from Cid's slap. His anger on his face, and desperation showed in his voice. "You have a choice! Don't say you can't!"

Aldrick's eyes watered, but only one tear rolled down his cheek. "It's not that simple. My mother...my friends...they're worried about me. I just disappeared on them..."

"So...my love means nothing to you?" Cid's eyes seemed to mist a little as they stared at Aldrick. Waiting for a moment, and recieving no response, he turned and left, leaving the room, and Aldrick turned back around, hearing Leon say "Only six more minutes..."

He took a step, but he couldn't make himself go any farther. He couldn't leave. He didn't want to. He looked down at the journal in his hands, and remembered something.

"...I need a pen..." At this, Leon smirked, and grabbed a black pen from the control panel.

* * *

Cid had wandered the castle, not sure what he should do. He just wandered, only to find himself outside the main gates. He stared into the setting sun, his eyes watery.

"Damn brat...why? I thought he was happy here...Damn it!" He kneeled down, and his fist pounded into the ground numerous times to vent his anger, frustration, and sadness. He stopped when his knuckles started to bleed, the skin torn from the constant thrashing.

He could hear the gates open, but didn't turn around. The mechanic could even hear footsteps coming towards him, but he didn't acknowledge it. He just stood and gently rubbed his knuckles, trying to stop the bleeding, not really caring about the pain.

"...Hey." The person spoke to Cid, and the man recognized the voice.

"No...is it really...?" He turned, and his eyes met one's that were the color of storm clouds, one's that were familiar.

He grabbed Aldrick and lifted him off the ground, giving a large bear hug that nearly snapped the teen's spine. Letting him go, the teen let out an "Ow..."

Cid was ecstatic, but his toothy grin soon turned to a frown. "I thought you were leaving..."

Aldrick looked to the sun, a solemn look on his face. "I was...and then, it finally dawned on me. 'I'm happy for once...and if my family and friends knew I was okay, then it would be alright'. I know it took me a while, but what can I say? I'm just a little slow."

Cid's grin came back as he hugged the teen from behind. "I think I'll be able to deal with it." He looked down, but noticed that the teen didn't have a certain green book. "Where's your journal?"

Aldrick smiled. "I figured that something, if not me, had to go back."

Softly, Cid whispered to Aldrick, saying "...I love you."

Aldrick smiled a little, his eyes following the sun. "I love you, too."

Cid turned his attention to the sun as well, and they watched as it slowly hid beneath the horizon. "Are you really staying?" Cid asked, looking at Aldrick.

Aldrick looked up, staring into the man's eyes. "Yes." And then, they kissed, as the moon slowly started to rise into the sky.

* * *

Rita had decided to go into her son's room one more time. Why? It didn't matter. All she knew was that her son had been there. She entered, and found everything untouched. No trash, no dirty clothes, and no video games out. Her son still hadn't come back.

She sat on the bed, withdrawing a picture from her pocket. It was a child, about eleven years of age, on the beach after getting knocked around by the waves. His sandy blonde hair was plastered to his head, and his gray eyes shone from happiness. "Oh, Aldrick..." She started to lift herself off the bed, when her hand found a book that had been resting on the bed. "That wasn't here before..."

She flipped the cover, and read the name _Aldrick Kiel _on the inside of it. Her hand went to her mouth in shock. "This is my son's?!" She hadn't known he kept a journal, so she read the first page. It shocked her as well, and she spent a good two and a half hours reading every page up till the last one.

"I...I didn't know..." She had started to cry, and worried that he had done something horrible to himself. When she turned to the last page, she noticed that it was quickly written, as though in a rush, and addressed to her.

_Mom, I know you're worried about me. But...please don't be worried about my well being. I found someone...and they love me as much as I love them. The entire group will help take care of me. No, it's not a cult or something like that. _

_You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain, but you will probably never see me again. I'd say not to cry, but that would be cruel. But, trust me when I say that, for once, I am truly happy._

_Please, tell my friends I'm alright? They would probably want to know. And please, don't worry about money for me. Believe or not, I'm training to be a jeweler. Either way, I should be fine._

_-Lots of love, your precious son, Aldrick_

Rita finished reading, and started to cry. Out of sadness that she'd never see her son again, but also out of the happiness that her son was alive and well. She closed the journal and placed it on the desk, turned off the overhead light, and shut the door behind her as she left.

* * *

...It's over! Well, that took me long enough. I should probably get to planning my next story, so review if you want, and be sure to keep an eye out for my next story. Here's a hint to what it's going to be about: Valenwind! Bye! See ya next time, faithful readers! 


	13. What could have happened

For the longest time, I've had writer's block. Sucks for me, but I couldn't do a thing about it. Well, till now. Enjoy this alternate ending for The Mechanic's Apprentice.

* * *

Aldrick rolled over, his eyes slowly opening. He could see a sky, and some birds that seemed to be robins. The sound of a waterfall could be heard. He opened his eyes all the way and sat up, an "Ow..." being said from the pain in his empty stomach. He then realized that he had been changed, and was now wearing only a pair of black boxers.

"Good. You're awake. I was getting worried there for a minute. You'd been sleeping for the past two days." Cid spoke from a chair near a fireplace, a small table nearby with a mostly filled ashtray sitting on it.

Aldrick looked out the window he had woken up to, a hand on his gut to try and stop the hunger pains. "...Where am I?" he asked, looking back to the mechanic.

"Hollow Bastion. One of the castle's rooms. Our room, to be more precise." He grinned a little as Aldrick blushed at the mentioning of 'our room'. "Yep! We're tryin' to clear out the heartless, and it's taking a while, but it's getting done. The others have been working really hard. Even that brat Yuffie hasn't been annoying me or you."

Aldrick tried to get out of the bed, but Cid immediately got up and kept the teen down. "You're not getting up. You're wounds may have been healed, but you're still weak. Leon should get here with some food soon."

Almost as if on cue, Leon knocked on the door and walked in, a tray with toast and eggs on it, along with a glass of orange juice, in his hands. "Well, speak of the devil." Cid said as he scratched his stubble.

"Yuffie needs your help. Something about a busted pipe or something in the kitchen." Leon spoke like he didn't really care, and after setting the tray on Aldrick's lap, he grabbed a chair and placed it next to the bed. "I'll watch Aldrick." was all he said as he sat down.

Cid, grabbing some toast, started to head for the door. "Stay in bed. If you don't, I'm going to have to sit on you." he called over his shoulder. He grabbed a spear from by the door, and Aldrick noticed an unusual sparkle from the spearhead, and the teen smiled when he realized that it was the one Aldrick had gotten for Cid.

Once Cid had left, Leon turned his head towards the teen, who had begun to eat. "We need to talk."

Aldrick looked up from his plate, confused. "Talk?"

"Yes, talk. It's about you going home." At this, Aldrick stopped eating, looking down at his half eaten plate of eggs as he set the fork down. "Since you've been sleeping, I've been trying to get the portal for the keyhole of this world to change, and temporarily get a way for you to get home. In the past two days, All three of us, me, Yuffie, and Aerith, have been working hard, and finally got it. You can go home."

Aldrick continued to eat, but stayed quiet. /Home...but, this is more my home then back there...but that would be selfish, like Maleficent said...they do care for me in both places...but...\ He was getting tired of all the 'buts', and slightly shook his head.

"You don't want to go home?" Leon sounded only the tiniest bit curious, but still managed to stay as unemotional as ever.

Aldrick shook his head, but said "I can't be so selfish. I want to stay, but my mother, and my friends, are so worried about me..."

"Then get dressed. We'll open the portal soon." With nothing else left to say, Leon stood up. He headed for the door, and Aldrick crawled out of the bed/So soon?...\ crossed his mind as he headed for the closet.

Grabbing his belt, a pair of light blue boxers, a pair of baggy green pants, and a white t-shirt, he dressed himself. He also grabbed some socks, and put those on as well, and left the closet, walking up to Leon. On his way, he noticed something green on the fireplace, and looked closer, realizing it was his journal. Picking that up, he decided once again to take it with him, and he returned to heading back towards the gunblader.

Putting on his shoes that had been placed by the door, he simply said "I'm ready..." and he was led out of the room. They passed through many rooms and corridors, and after about five minutes of walking, they arrived in the Grand hall, where Yuffie and Aerith were waiting. Sad looks adorned their faces, and Yuffie could be heard sniffling.

"Do you really have to go?" Aerith sounded desperate, but Aldrick nodded, his eyes on the floor.

"You...You..." Yuffie couldn't say anything, so Aerith took her out of the room, and Aldrick was left with only Leon.

Leon started to work the controls, and Aldrick waited, staring at the portal. Soon, Leon stopped pushing buttons, and Aldrick could see a change in the gate. A room appeared, and the teen could immediately recognize it as his own. It was cleaner than he remembered, but it was his all the same.

He stood there, staring into his room. He didn't move. "It won't be open long. The machine is about to break." Leon was staring at the controls, making sure everything was running smoothly.

As Aldrick started to walk up the stairs to enter his room, he could hear the door to the Hall open, along with sound of heavy footsteps like someone was running. He turned to his right, and his gaze was placed upon an out of breath Cid.

"Why...are you...leaving?" He was trying to catch his breath, and kept coming closer. Aldrick only turned his head away, not even looking at Cid as the mechanic stepped in front of his apprentice.

"...I need to go home..."

"But isn't...this your...home?"

"...Stop..." Aldrick didn't look up, but he was obviously getting frustrated.

"Aren't we good...enough for you?"

"...Stop it..."

"Do you hate us that much?" Cid had now caught his breath, and stared right at Aldrick.

"No...Stop...please..."

"If you don't hate us, then stay!"

"I can't!" He looked up at Cid, his frustration clearly showing.

The smack echoed against the walls of the Grand Hall, and Aldrick's head snapped back to the side from Cid's slap. His anger on his face, and desperation showed in his voice. "You have a choice! Don't say you can't!"

Aldrick's eyes watered, but only one tear rolled down his cheek. "It's not that simple. My mother...my friends...they're worried about me. I just disappeared on them..."

Cid wanted to try to stop the teen one last time, but there was nothing else for him to say. He turned and left, leaving the room, and Aldrick turned back around, hearing Leon say "Only six more minutes..."

He took a step, but he couldn't make himself go any farther. He couldn't leave. He didn't want to. He looked down at the journal in his hands, and remembered something.

"...I need a pen..." At this, Leon smirked, and grabbed a black pen from the control panel.

Cid had wandered the castle, not sure what he should do. He just wandered, only to find himself outside the main gates. He stared into the setting sun, his eyes watery.

"Damn brat...why? I thought he was happy here...Damn it!" He kneeled down, and his fist pounded into the ground numerous times to vent his anger, frustration, and sadness. He stopped when his knuckles started to bleed, the skin torn from the constant thrashing.

He could hear the gates open, but didn't turn around. The mechanic could even hear footsteps coming towards him, but he didn't acknowledge it. He just stood and gently rubbed his knuckles, trying to stop the bleeding, not really caring about the pain.

"...Hey." The person spoke to Cid, and the man recognized the voice.

"The hell do you want?" He turned, and his eyes met one's that were the color of ice, one's that weren't what he wanted to see.

Leon held out a book with a green cover, and Cid bit his tongue to hold back his yelling. "I don't want to see that. Why did you bring it?"

"Aldrick wanted you to have it."

Cid grabbed the book, staring at it with misty eyes. "Damn that brat..."

Leon turned to walk away, calling out "He would want you to read the last page." right before heading back into the castle.

Turning to the last page out of curiosity, the mechanic's throat tightened as he read a quickly scrawled message.

_Cid,_

_I wanted so badly to stay...but I just couldn't. My family, my friends...they are all worried about me, and I them. But, please, I beg of you, don't think I didn't love you. I loved you so much, but my staying here would only make me worry about my world even more._

_I think, though, it'll be better. You taught me a lot...how to make jewelry...how to fight...how to love...I thank you for all of that. I won't be okay for a while...but, over time, I'll get better, my heart will heal, and I might even love someone else...but you will always be the one who taught me how to love, and the one that will always have a place in my heart._

_Goodbye...and I love you,_

_-Aldrick_

Closing the book, Cid held the journal close to his chest, his heart in pain, but he smiled as he stared at the rising moon, his mind wandering to his apprentice.

Rita had decided to go into her son's room one more time. Why? It didn't matter. All she knew was that her son had been there. Sighing, she opened the door, and turned on the light. She let out a yelp of surprise when she saw someone standing in the center of the room, but quickly covered her mouth when she realized who it was.

"Al...Aldrick? Is it...really you?" Her eyes watering, she let out another yelp when the teen turned, his grey eyes wet with tears, a smile on his face.

"...I'm home...mom..."

Rita quickly ran up and embraced her son, tears of joy running down her face and onto Aldrick's shoulder. "Oh, Aldrick! I missed you so much!"

Holding his mother, Aldrick's smile seemed to quiver, and his eyes started to leak out tears. When Rita pulled away, she wiped away her tears and started to leave the room. "Oh, I need to call people. Your grandmother, your uncle, the police. I need to do so much."

Once she left, Aldrick's smile finally faltered, and the tears kept coming. Looking around his room, he noticed his Playstation 2 and the games for it, and he sifted through the games, finding Kingdom Hearts. Placing the game on top of his television, Aldrick let out a small smile, and said "Love you...Cid..." before leaving to follow his mother.

* * *

This idea, was actually inspired bye First Love, the song by Utada Hikaru(Yay for her, by the way!) Anyway, I do think this cured my writer's block for my other two stories.

For andrhats: You're probably a little mad at me for not writing faster, but that's okay. I'll deal. But, anyway, the English story that's been taking up my time had to be based on the themes from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, so I made it a murder mystery. However...I only have 2 chapters written, and no idea when I'm going to finish. But, my other stories are starting to become more important to me, so we'll just have to wait and see when I'll get them done. Here's to hoping.


End file.
